Sky, Earth and Prayer

Original vessels created by ceramic artist Morishita Shingo. The lid was created by woodworker Yasushi Shimizu to fit the container. With this combination, a new "lidded container" was created. The mountain soil of Shigaraki is refined into clay to make pottery. The black colour of the vessel's surface is achieved by firing it together with ash glaze using iron oxide as the main ingredient. A shrine was made on the outside of the body of the jar, and Shingo's "Agogu" was enshrined there (see photo). "Gagou" is a word coined by the artist Morishita Shingo; he creates all of the mysterious shapes that are born from Shingo, sometimes human-like and sometimes animal-like, and he names them all "Gagou". By the way, on the back of the shrine on the outside of the main body, in other words, on the inside of the jar, there is a "Gogu Funky Elephant" attached♪ (no photo) The material chosen for the lid is thick genuine cherry wood. The mouth of the vase is hexagonal, so the shapes converge in the center, leading to a spire and then spiraling upwards into the heavens. Walnut is used on the spire and the left and right sides of the body to add color accents. There are many jars in the world, but is there a jar in which my god lives? This jar, in which Morishita Shingo's Gogu, born on earth, lives, is connected to the heavens by being integrated with the lid, handcrafted by woodworker Shimizu Yasushi. It is my sincere hope that the precious prayers from all over the world and the important thoughts of craftsmanship will be conveyed to everyone's hearts through this work. I put that wish into the title of the work. ■Material: Container/Ceramics Lid: Cherry, walnut ■Size: Width approx. 420mm, height 780mm *The lid is finished with a natural oil. If moisture is left on it, it will stain, so be sure to wipe off any moisture as soon as possible.