Antique Japanese stoneware kame (wide mouthed bowl) from Shigaraki kiln. Made using the local sandy clay from the bed of Lake Biwa, Shigaraki ware is identified by the embedded granules of feldspar. Mineral and ash glaze is dribbled and spattered over the surface leaving long, uneven drips...

1800s

Made in Mino in Gifu prefecture, these e-shino type small bowls were produced in sets of five or ten and used to serve guests the special foods of the Kaiseki meal that often accompanied formal tea ceremonies. These two bowls were wheel-formed, then shaped while the clay was still wet. They were then painted with simple, almost abstract designs using iron oxide for the pigment...

A beautiful set of ten small shallow dishes, each uniquely decorated with a poem and image from the Edo period Sasashima Kiln of central Nagoya. The box, titled Sasashima Yaki Teshio Jumai (10 Sasashima Salt Dishes) is dated inside to the Tenpo era, (1830-1844). Each dish is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter and all are in excellent condition. Salt dishes were small plates used to hold salt, pickles or other condiments in a traditional Japanese meal...

An elegant Kyo-yaki wine ewer of traditional form decorated in gilt outlined enamels with weeping cherry Shidarezakura and brocade bands to the cover and rim. The ewer measures approximately 5 inches or 13cm in height and is approximately 16cm in width from the tip of the spout to the furthest point of the handle. Dating late Edo circa 1850. The ewer is in overall good condition some minute frits to the spout. Shipping at Cost

Meiji period (1868-1912) Antique Japanese Pink Raku Ware Tea Bowl Chawan with Poetry. The bowl bears Ryosen mark which can be attributed to Ryōsen-ji Buddhist temple in the city of Shimoda, Japan...

An unusual Bizen stoneware figural group depicting three sages with attributes in clouds in a stele formation. One with wheat and sword flanked by attendants, one also with wheat and sword and the other with a palm frond or banana leaf fan...

A Japanese baluster vase painted with two scenes, separated by brocaded curtains. The neck in imitation of a cloth cover also featuring two Shimizu mon. The painting is quite remarkable; please remember when you look at the detail photographs that the vase is just a tad under six inches tall...

A hawk rests on an elaborate perch, the feathers fluffed up, each uniquely carved on this rare okimono from the Mushiake kilns of Okayama prefecture. It comes in an ancient kiri-wood box. The notation on the side of the box states it was received in late Meiji 27 (1894) from the former Head of the Okayama fief Ikeda Mochimasa. The name of the recipient has been redacted, as is often the case when things change hands in Japan. It is 24 x 7.4 x 29 cm (9 x 3 x 11-1/2 inches)...

A sweetmeat dish consisting of 1 central hexagonal dish surrounded by 6 fan-shaped dishes. Each dish has a straight side and is decorated in the center with one of the seven gods of good fortune, shichifukujin in overglaze enamels and gold on cream colored stoneware. The central dish holds the image of the only female member of the shichifukujin: Benzaiten.

The central dish is signed on the back Gyokuzan in a red and gold cartouche...

Kyoto ceramic statuette of Guanyin. The clay is not earthenware, but rather stoneware fired at low temperature. An enamel decoration, applied to a cracked glaze, covers the entire statuette. The rock-base is enamelled in green and blue, stained with gold. The dress of the deity is enamelled with stylized flowers and scrolls in blue, green and red, but the whole is dominated by gold. This statuette is of excellent quality, elegant and rare...

An unusual Japanese Satsuma koro in the form of a barrel, the body decorated with symbols of good fortune & longevity, the white metal lid, pierced and engraved with a bird in flight amongst flora, the base with artist signature with Shimizu mon and seal.

Approximately 14cm high x 11cm wide...

Late Meiji - early Taisho (1910s-1920s) Japanese Kutani ceramic lozenge shaped dish for holding sweets during tea ceremony. Central area is painted with a butterfly on flight over chrysanthemums growing over rocks by a bamboo fence. Nicely potted stoneware body with rounded corners. Wonderful free painting in typical Ko-Kutani (ancient Kutani) style and color palette of blue, green, aubergine, black, tomato red and gold enamels...

Small serving dish of square, mokuzuke, of octagonal shape with two handles standing off the side. Thin light-colored stoneware covered with cream-colored glaze with fine crackle filled in the brown color from the foot to ¾ of the height. On top of the cream-colored glaze some iron-brown decorations of pine needle, plum blossom, cross hatch design and a mon-shaped design and a splash of green glaze with some blue in it. Inside a light textile structure impressed in the glaze. Oribe ware, Japan,...

In our opinion this is the best Iga Vase, we have ever seen. Massive and intentionally distorted Vase of wonderful native Iga clay. The vase is 3300 g heavy and has a height of 8,1'' and a width of 7,1'', which is very tall for an antique Iga vase.

The vase was made between 1800 - 1850 during the later Edo Period and is in good antique condition. No repairs. Only an untimportant chip on the bottom caused during the process of firing. The vase comes with an old wooden box.

A Tea Pot by Otagaki Rengetsu with a handle like bamboo root inscribed with a poem which reads: Ko no kimi wa
medetaki fushi wo
kasane tsutsu
sue no yo nagaki
tameshi nari keri.
This translates as:
Our young bamboo
piling up happy knots
year upon year—
its tips reaching high
a paragon to us.
It is roughly 10 cm (4 inches) diameter. And comes enclosed in a wooden box annotated by Koen of Jinkoin temple, where Rengetsu lived. O...

Momoyama period (1568-1600) Ko Karatsu Sake Cup with beautiful greenish glaze.
Shallow body with reddish unglazed base typical for Momoyama period.
Painted with iron pigment at the mouth on one side. It was more likely unearthed and repaired long time ago.

Size
Height 3.5cm
Width 13cm
Weight 175g

Condtion
Repaired with kintsugi

Karatsu ware, also known as "Karatsu-yaki" in Japanese, is a traditional style of pottery that originated...

Antique Japanese Seto Ware stoneware ishizara (food plate). Covered with a cream colored slip and painted with a pair of crayfish in gosu blue glaze. Produced in or around the city of Seto in Aichi Prefecture. Seto is considered one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan.

Age: Tokugawa Shogunate, Edo Period (late 18th/early 19th century).

Dimensions: 8 3/4" wide x 1 3/4" high

A large and very expressive, ceramic figure of sitting shishi, lion-dog, with turned head. It is covered in a creamy, white crackled glaze. The open, staring eyes made of inserted glass are rendered with gold. Unsigned. Japan, late Edo, before 1850. H. 35 cm, L. 25 cm, W. 16 cm. Condition: good, but for a few chips, fire cracks and minor area of repair on underside.

A rare Seto Heishi (also read Heiji) bottle dating from the Kamakura period (1192-1333) wrapped in a custom made silk pouch with age darkened Kiri-wood box. Streaks of an unusual blue shidare glaze are visible on one side, Unlike the vast majority of Heishi bottles, this piece is no unearthed or excavated but has been passed down from generation to generation (as evidenced by the lack of inclusions or calcification). It is 24 cm tall and in overall excellent condition, with only minor chips ab...

A fine pottery koro in typical milky white glaze supported by three figures in russet red by Okuda Mokuhaku dating from the mid 19th century. It is 13 cm (5 inches) diameter, 11.2 cm (4-1/4 inches) tall. There is a chip in the rim, otherwise is in excellent condition. It is stamped on the base AKahadayama followed by a circular seal reading Mokuhaku. t comes in a simple wooden box.
Akahada Pottery, starting around 1585, was created by several kilns in the area of Yamato-Koriyama, Nara...

Antique Japanese small Satsuma ware tea pot. Decorated with detailed scenes in color and gold. On one side are seven arhats and on the other side are ladies. Minute detailed pattern and flowers. The tea pot is complete with small, square lid. With Satsuma mark on the bottom.

Age: Meiji Period (c.1880)

Dimensions: 3 3/4" high x 4 3/8" long x 2" wide

Dating from early-to-mid Edo the shape of this unique Karatsu piece is referred to as a “takadai-zara” in Japanese, or high-footed serving platter. Modeled on similar Korean pieces from the early Joseon Dynasty, the platter was made using coarse, unrefined clay with high iron oxide content. The clay which forms the bowl shows impurities, intentional pitting, and small stones peeking through the clay making for an interesting ceramic landscape. After firing, pieces such as this are treated wi...

A fine kikugata mukuzuke moulded dish in the form of an asymmetric Chrysanthemum bloom with central motif of a single Chrysanthemum leaf richly enamelled in green and blue enamels with gilding. The rim decorated with a dark brown iron temmoku style glaze. The dish measures 18.5cm in length, 14cm wide and stands 4cm high. The dish is in excellent condition with no cracks, chips or restoration. Shipping at Cost.

A 13th.century ko seto Kamakura vase in elegantly-shaped meiping form, with a gradual outward curve on the shoulder, with short-knopped neck, incised beneath the greenish-yellow / olive glaze.

The box was added by our gallery 20 years ago. It was made by a tomobako artist, and there is written 'ko seto kamakura vase' if my memory does not fool me. The vase is decorated with kanji letters.

Marked on the bottom ( maybe a kiln mark ).

It is in good condition. Onl...

Rare Nakamura Donen (1876-1937) Mishima Ware Chawan Bowl with Gold Repair Kintsugi. Nakamura Donen was a famous potter during Meiji-Taisho periods who worked in different styles such as Raku and Mishima. He has a lot of Korean influence in his works as he studied the pottery in Korea. Size Width 11.5cm Height 8.6cm Condition Overall good, the bowl the some repair with gold. Please see the images for details. Supplied with old wooden box.

Antique Japanese Katakuchi of Old Karatsu Ware near the end of 19th century (about 120-130 years ago). Karatsu ware is one of most desired pottery type in Japan based in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture since 15th century. It is made from high in iron clay often decorated with an iron-based underglaze, giving an earthy and natural feeling to the fired items. Dia. 4.3"(11.0cm) x Height 3.2"(8.2cm) Condition Good. No chips, No cracks. Supplied with the box

A rich black glaze covers this Kasama-yaki jar from the late 19th C. It is in the shape of a "natsume," a tea powder caddy used in the tea ceremony. H.21.5cm (8.5") Body Dia.16cm (6.25".) Kasama wares currently do not enjoy the fame of pots from nearby Mashiko. But Kasama, in neighboring Ibaraki Prefecture about 30 minutes away by car, preceeded Mashiko in being a ceramic production center by nearly a century, and had a hand in training the early Mashiko potters. Though most Kasama wares were, ...

19-20cc Karatsu Guinomi (sake cup) With Gold Decoration Antique Sake Ware
Skillfully decorated with gold however it is not a repair but a decoration of unglazed areas.

Karatsu ware is one of most desired pottery type in Japan based in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture since 15th century.

Size
Width 7cm
Height 4.6cm

Condition
No cracks, no chips

Rare Antique Japanese Kashiki Bowl for used ceremony of Meiji Period made by Rokubei Kiyomizu IV (1848-1920). The seal of the potter is stamped on the bottom. Rokubei Kiyomizu IV belongs to one of the most influential Kiyomizu family of potters. He was born in 1848 as the eldest son of Rokubei Kiyomizu III. He got his family title and the name Rokubei IV in 1883 when he joined the Toyukai artists’ association. He co-established the Kyoto Ceramic Research Institute in 1895. Rokubei IV re...

A small vase sculpted in the shape of a cluster of roses covered in cockscomb red by Kiyomizu Rokubei V enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase shows the influence of Art-Nouveau, and Rokubei was one of the leading proponents of blending Western and Eastern ideals in clay art. The vase is 6.5cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 18.5cm (7-1/2 inches) tall and in perfect condition. It comes wrapped in the original artist stamped cloth complete with the original black wood stand.
Kiyomiz...

Edo Period (1603-1868) Japanese Antique Kuro Raku Tachi-Zuru Tsutsu Chawan for Tea Ceremony Wabi Sabi Raku pottery is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremony since as early as the 16th century. Size Height 10.3cm Width 10.2cm Weight 325g Condition Overall good considering the age, no cracks, no chips. The seal of the potter is stamped at the bottom.

An early Edo period Ki-Seto sake cup repurposed with a silver lid pierced with a chrysanthemum to function as an incense burner enclosed in a custom made silk pouch and bamboo case dating the transformation to New Years of Kae-7 (1854). Without the lid it is 5.5 cm (roughly 2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.

An antique flask much like a tokkuri used for transporting sake, the "abura" (oil) "dokkuri" (flask) was used to transport oil products. H.27cm (10.5"), Body Dia.16cm (6.25".) This one is from the old Echigo (present-day Niigata Prefecture) which had stores of oil used for heating and lighting that were shipped up the Japan Sea coast north to Hokkaido. This example is wonderfully pitted with oil over a white glaze, produced at one of the no longer existent folk kilns of the Echigo region. It's u...

A masterpiece of Akahada Pottery ware in the shape of a wooden bucket with elaborate scrolling feet from the kiln of Okuda Mokuhaku. It is 18 x 18 x 19 cm (7 x 7 x 7-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, enclosed in a modern wooden collector’s box.
Okuda Mokuhaku (1800-1871) was born the son of a merchant in Sakai Machi Yamato Koriyama in Nara Prefecture that served the local lords with hair ornaments, make-up supplies and other fashionable items. His given name was Kamematsu, whi...

A beautiful example of an antique Shigaraki Tsubo (storage jar) Vase displaying classic Shigaraki markings of emerald green, red ochre, pale and natural ash glaze.

The eye-catching natural green glaze flows from the mouth over the massive body of this jar from the mid Edo Period (1603-1868)

Standing in front of the large tsubo with its aesthetic form, jewel-like natural glazes, and sparkling tsuchi-aji (clay flavor), one cannot help but feel in awe of their makers, and...

This is a are Banko teapot in pristine condition. This sea creature pattern is one of the most collectible ever created by the Banko factory.It has some history written on the underside that the buyer can remove or leave.

Polychrome sculpture in Sumida-gawa stoneware, also called Sumida-yaki, representing an old man surrounded by five monkeys in front of a basket containing two nuts. Glazed clothes and basket.

Seal underneath of Kinoshita (木下).

Sumida-yaki ceramics takes its name from the Sumida River (Sumida gawa), near which it was created by Inoue Ryosai I (1828-1899) in 1875. He and the wealthy merchant Shimada Sobei built a kiln in the Hashiba district of Asakusa, in present-day...

Japanese Pottery heavy Bar Rest used inside the Kiln, 11" long, 2 1/2" square each ends, this bar stick used in the kiln to rest items, with rough glaze surface, the condition is good, no damages.

A beautiful black Raku bowl with golden lightning splitting across the surface like an eruption of light in the night sky. It is roughly 12 cm (4-3/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. An exquisite repair.
Kintsugi embodies the spirit of wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic worldview centered around imperfection, transience, and the beauty of the natural cycle of growth and decay. Embracing the flawed and broken aspects of an object through kintsugi is a way to appreciate the passag...

Japanese Brown large heavy weight Earthenware Hibachi with bumpy irregular hand constructed and molded body and iridescent thick drip glaze, Ca. Meiji, 1800-1920, 12 1/2" high, 13" wide for rounded soft square top rim, 15" wide in the middle widest part, 12 1/2" diameter for unglazed bottom, multi color brown thick drip glaze on brown body, the bottom is not glazed. Hand shaped and molded top rim is rounded square and fold over overlapped, and wide round body in the middle, narrowing down to s...

A quintessential Iga vase dating from the Edo period, the rough clay covered in thick ash glaze. It is viciously charred, testament to the tempest in the kiln, with molten ash flowing freely over the surface. This is a perfect complement to a Japanese chashitsu tea room or traditional flower display. It is 24.5 cm (9-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. In a Japanese tea ceremony room, historically vases were made to match the ambiance of the humble setting. Although I did not write i...

A striking Peacock feather colored flambe glazed vase by Leading Kyoto Potter Uno Ninmatsu enclosed in a signed wooden box dated the 10th month of Showa 5 (October 1930). It is 28 cm tall and in excellent condition.
Uno Ninmatsu (1864-1937) was born in Kyoto son of potter Wada Sohei and studied under his father as well as from a young age Seifu Yohei II then future Imperial Art Academy artist Seifu Yohei III until setting up his own studio at the age of 21. Outgoing by comparison to the ...

Thick molten ash drivels over the shoulder of this fabulous 17th century Shigaraki Tsubo storage jar showing all the great attributes of Shigaraki ware. It has a large open ware (pronounced wa-ray) crack down the front, which does not go through to the inside, and the fire blasted front surface is shot with fine heat cracks. A large Kutsuki to the lower let shows where it adhered to something else in the kiln during the firing. Natural ash glaze in yellow and green slides down over the surfac...

Featuring rich earthy tones and intricate hand-drawn stencil designs of passion flowers resting on a string of vines, this bowl would be perfect for displaying an ikebana flower arrangement. A kintsugi (gold) repair attest to the age and care that went into maintaining this piece through generations. The label on the lid of the box reads “e-Seto Karatsumon O-wan” indicating a large Seto bowl with arabesque hand drawings (絵瀬戸 唐草文 大鉢). The piece also features a technique known ...

Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this mid-Edo period vase embodies simplicity, beauty, and understated elegance. Originally crafted as a tokkuri, or sake flask, it was recovered from the estate of a tea-practitioner who reportedly cherished it as a vase that would hold colorful flowers and various grasses throughout the seasons.

Thanks to the dedication and passion of a researcher by the name of Katsura Matasaburo (1901-1986) we can be assured that this vase is a...

Sturdy storage jar for tea leaves or other goods with horizontally ribbed surface, sloping shoulder with very short neck. Coarse but dense clay with small inclusions. Outside middle brown with cream-colored and yellow natural ash glaze. Mingei.
Japan, 18th/19th century.

Height 7.5 inches, width 6 inches at the neck. Ash glaze partially rubbed off at upper edge and at the body commensurate with holding and using, otherwise very good condition.

Very nice example of rare Meiji period (1868-1912) Antique Inuyama pottery Teabowl of unusual design with many scholars. Inuyama pottery is a traditional ware of Aichi Prefecture which dates back to Edo period. Size Width / 4.914 inch ( 12.6cm ) 5.031 inch ( 12.9cm ) Height / 2.808 inch ( 7.2cm ) Total Weight / 275 g Condition : There is a repair of gold kinnaoshi technique.

Midsize storage jar, tsubo. Greyish brown stoneware, with the typical white stone inclusions, partially bursting out through the surface. The ashes in the wood burning kiln settled during the firing onto the surface of the pot and melted, creating the beautiful brownish yellow ash glaze. This is a natural process that cannot be controlled by the potter beyond the decision of placement within the kiln.

Japan, Edo period, 19th century or a bit earlier

H 11.25 inches

Very good ...

Museum piece Edo Period Ca. 1860-1880 tea leaf storage jar 'tsubo' from Shigaraki, the famed pottery center outside of Kyoto. Natural wood fired glazes and straw cap. Excellent condition. Quite large. 25" tall and 13" in diameter. Ask for shipping quote.

This little chap is looking remarkably relaxed considering he has lost the tips of his fingers on one hand. And the tip of an ear also. Still, he is quite a rarity and makes a fine desk companion.

Approximately 6.5 cm high.7.5 cm maximum width.

Please study the photographs.

Within the UK payment by bank to bank transfer is preferred.

Customers resident in China must make arrangements to pay by International Bank Transfer in GBP, fees paid.

Pleas...

The poem etched on the side of this exceptional piece reads: In the future — happiness — and long life — two sprouting leaves —to grow a thousand years. Indeed a positive message, perhaps to accompany a warm cup of sake on a quiet winters evening.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was born into a Samurai family but soon after adopted by the Ōtagaki family, from the age of seven to sixteen she was a lady in waiting at Kameoka castle where she was trained in the arts ...

Dragons charge the sides of this large water urn covered in crackled pale glaze emblazoned with a panel which specifies: Water for the 11 Faced Kannon (Quanyin). Inside is lined with iron glaze. Outside key frets surround the rim leading to a nearly flat shoulder upon which blossom five petaled plum flowers. Below this the dragons vie in the tempest, with the base drawing precipitously covered in Shipppo designs (7 treasures). It is 38 cm (15 inches) tall, 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) diameter. The...

Japanese ceramic jar.

Age: Japan, Meiji Period, 19th Century
Size: Height 33.4 C.M. / Width 44.7 C.M.
Condition: Nice condition overall. Please refer to the enlargement photos for more details.
Shipment: Worldwide shipping from Bangkok, Thailand at actual cost. Please e-mail us for the shipping fee.

A Kenzan style Chawan Tea Bowl decorated with blossoming plum bending over a golden rim by Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan enclosed in the original wooden box signed inside on the box floor by the aritst with an annotation inside the lid by Omotosenkei Iemoto Tea Master Seisai (1863-1937) reading Makuzu Yaki Chawan Ume-no-ga Ari (Makuzu Pottery Tea Bowl Decorated with Plum). It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter, 7cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
The name Kozan was granted by Prince Ya...

Late Meiji Japanese good size ceramic suiteki (water dropper for diluting ink used in painting and calligraphy) that can also serve as a brushrest, modeled as a large and a small pine cones growing together. Clever design, holes on top of cones for filling and dispensing water, very nice depiction of cone texture, brown glaze with gold enamel over it, in excellent condition. Marked with potter’s stamp on the bottom, appears to read SHUNZAN, but I am not entirely sure. Comes in original kiriwoo...

A perfectly potted body, a very beautiful Ge crackled glaze with an old original copper rim band to the rim. Most likely Japanese and probably from the seventeenth or eighteenth century. A simple graceful beauty. H : 7,9 cm. Condition : Perfect

Very Rare Antique Pottery Bowl with Kenzan Signature made by Kiyomizu Shichibei (1818–1891). Shichibei Kiyomizu was born in Kyoto in 1818 as the eldest son Takejiro of the second generation Rokubei Kiyomizu (1790-1860). Instead of taking over the family title, he founded his own kiln by 1839 with the name Kiyomizu Shichibei. It is not clear what was the reason behind that but it is known that Takejiro was a heavy drinker and was not allowed to use the same family name. His works are ofte...

A fabulous example exploring the various traits of traditional Shigaraki pottery with a thick swath of glaze covering one side, telltale feldspathic inclusions bursting from the raw clay opposite. This is a classic example of 16th century Shigaraki pottery. It is 29 x 31 x 35 cm (11-1/2 x 12 x 14 inches) and in overall excellent condition. The history of Shigaraki traces its origins to around the 12th century with the discovery of exceptional clay deposits rich in iron and other minerals which ...

A beautifully sculpted incense burner in the shape of a nesting crane dating from the 19th to opening of the 20th century, Late Edo to Meiji period). It comes enclosed in an age darkened kiri-wood collectors box. It is 12.5 x 24 x 16 cm (5 x 9-1/2 x 6 inches). Although not altogether clear there appears to be a possible old repair to the back of the head.

Bats, symbol of good fortune, flit over the sunset surface of this Ki-seto vase by Kato Sakusuke enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kiseto Kabin. An inscription inside begins Fukuju ? Zu (Lucky ? Image) and appears to be dated 1919 in the 60 year cyclical Zodiac calendar (possibly 1859). This is followed by the signature of a painter who also signed and dated the vase, indicating Sakusuke made the vase, while another artist provided the decoration. It is 31 cm (12 inches) tall a...