MORINO HIROAKI (TAIMEI) Japanese, born 1934 Oval Vase, ca. 1991­1992 Stoneware with navy, aqua, and gold glaze. Height: 13 in. (33 cm) George and Mary Rockwell Collection. 96.3 Morino Hiroaki, well-known in the United States as well as in Japan, was born the son of the potter Morino Kako (1879-1987) and studied at Kyoto Art University under Tominoto Kenkichi (1886-1963), one of the leading potters of this century. Morino taught pottery at the University of Chicago in the 1960s. This experience encouraged him to unite both contemporary and traditional Japanese aesthetics. Morino's vase is here undercoated with an aqua blue glaze, seen through a finely pitted, dark, dull blue overcoating. Muted, abstract gold designs add a sumptuous touch. His works are characterized by a virtuoso integration of design and color, form and ornamentation. His recent works, which were exhibited in New York in 1995, demonstrate the movement of his style in a new direction, exploring abstract and sculptural possibilities in the field of pottery.