An exquisite plate by legendary Okabe Mineo enclosed in a wooden box titled Benishino Hirabachi, annotated inside: Work of Mineo Sensei signed and sealed by Kuroda Totoan. There is something very intimate about this artist and his work, the glaze is thin, reealing the body of the work and you can feel the potters hands in the clay. It is 32.5 cm (13 inches) diameter and in excellent condition...

A beautiful and elegant work by important female artist Tokumaru Kyoko comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakuji Ryuhimon Chawan (White Dragon-skin) and dating to Reiwa 3 nen (2021).
Her spiky lances and unfurling fronds forming are fantastical. The artist begins with slabs of clay and then constructs them to create work rooted in existential explorations. In this regard, Tokumaru notes that her spatial expressions allow her to travel deep inside herself...

Tarnished beaded silver is draped in gold over which runs a deep forest green on this apple shaped chawan by innovative artist Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A thick gold tinged bead dangles from one side, and bubbly dark glaze pools within. It is 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches9 diameter and in excellent condition. He really takes things to the extreme, challenging and yet incorporating something of the idea of Wabi into his outlandish works...

Silver ray-skin texture covers this fabulous Katakuchi sake pot by Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. OMG a chilled Daiginjo served with this would have to taste like a million bucks! Like a footed softball, it is 12 cm (4-3/4 inches) diameter, ever so slightly shorter although it appears to be taller than it is wide.
One of my favorite artists, the innovative Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973...

Mixed stoneware clay, unique curved lines, movement, form and warm textures of nature are a clear influence of Izumita Yukiya works. It is an excellent example of this artist, comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sekisoh (layers) .
Tokkuri and Guinomi available too.(On Reserved)
Size, D 38.6 cm H 27.2 cm
Condition, Excellent
Yukiya was born in 1966 in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture . In 1995 opened is own workshop...

Gold drizzles down the rough textured sides of this steep Tsutsu-chawan tea bowl by Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The gold shines brilliantly on the rough textured clay, alternating with patches of earthy orange and pale cream. It has the WOW! Factor in triplicate. Slightly oblong, it is roughly 11 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter 9.5 cm (3-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973...

The most unique work I have ever seen from innovative artist Ito Motohiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nunome Tsubaki-mon Kabin (Cloth Textured Vase with Camellia Design). Sensual sans eroticism, it is a frank and appreciative look at the beauty of the feminine form. This is from my personal collection, and I am torn with the idea of parting with it...

A swollen sail shape in graduations of color by Miyashita Zenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaze no Deban (Cue the Wind, or Wind in the Sails, if you like). It is 20 x 21 x 28 cm (8x 8-1/2 x 11 inches) and in excellent condition. It retains the original Shifuku and Shiori.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under Kiyomizu Kyubei and Kusube Yaichi...

Born in Okayama in 1914, Rokuro Nakamura is one of the greatest Bizen potters of modern times. He studied and made his first pottery together with LNT Toyo Kaneshige establishing his own Rokuro kiln in 1961. He has numerous awards including the Order of the Rising Sun, Green Paulownia Medal and Okayama Nichinichi Award...

Studio Pottery Arita Ware Globular Porcelain Vase with Natural Landscape made by Fujii Shumei (b. 1936)

Fujii Shumei is the prominent potter from Arita who has many awards including the Award from Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition and the Kyushu Yamaguchi Ceramics Exhibition as well as the Minister of Education Award.

Size
Width 19cm
Height 19cm

Condition
Good, no cracks, no chips
Supplied with original signed box

Here we have the maverick of Bizen showing off his skills again with a superb chawan in sandy white clay by Kakurezaki Ryuichi enclosed in the original wooden box and comes complete with a catalog from his show last year...

Impressive press moulded Kaki glaze bottle with Nukie decoration made by Hamada Shinsaku around 1990-1991.

Born in 1929 as second son of Hamada Shoji, Hamada Shinsaku continued the family tradition of the world recognized Mashiko pottery.
He worked and traveled closely with his father and took over the famous kiln in Mashiko in 1978. Shinsaku Hamada pottery is exhibited in numerous museums around the world...

A complete set of the twelve animals of the zodiac by Miyashita Zenji, each enclosed in the original signed wooden box retaining the original Shifuku and Shiori. Sizes vary from 8 up to 16 cm (3 to 6 inches) and all are in excellent condition.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under Kiyomizu Kyubei and Kusube Yaichi. Starting with the most difficult, he worked from Celadon, which relies on s...

A seminal work by Karatsu Legend Maruta Munehiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Karatsu Kuro Oribe Chawan and named inside Shigenari. (Furuta Shiginari later Oribe was famous tea Master). All is deeply coated in thick burnt ash with flashes of iron , cream and olive supplanting one side. It is a work which embodies the best of this highly sought artist.
Size, D 15.7 cm H 8.1 cm
Condition, Excellent
Munehiko was born the second son of the legendary artist Maru...

A perfect example that captures both of those two important artist mastery of celadon glazing and they innovative symmetry of flowing lines and fluted points.  The silhouette is ethereal, harkening back to the clean elegant lines of Song pottery and the pirouetting lines of Alphonse Mucha and Art-nouveau.  The glaze lays perfectly mirror like on the body, like a green ocean without a breath of wind. 
Size,(Chaire) D 8.6 cm   H 5.2  cm  ( SOLD )
Size,(Koro) D 9.9 cm   H 13...

An expressive form covered in thick emerald glaze by Yamaguchi Makoto enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oribe Kaki and date to 2020. It has a very organic feel, both from the texture and the cutted sides with various thicknesses of green glass, like water running over a stone surface.
Size, D 37.4 cm H 25.2 cm
Condition, Excellent
A rising star in the pottery world, Yamaguchi Makoto was born in Seto, Aichi prefecture in 1978. In 2000 he was apprenticed to H...

Exhibited (in a gallery show) this Ko-Iga chawan was made by veteran potter, Kojima Kenji. This bowl is broad and deftly manipulated to create a rather nice form with the addition of a stamped device toward the bottom of the reverse of the piece. The face of the chawan has a nice build up of ash creating a blue-grey surface that then runs to ash tendrils embracing the sides and terminating at the rear in a variety of large drips. The rear is also decorated by three shell scar impressions from...

Here is a rare work reflecting the shape and character of this famous artist but in Bizen clay, Shigaraki yes, Iga yes, Shino and Kohiki yes, Bizen vase first time for me. A divine vase by Tsujimura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Hanaire. The shape is organic, with warm, rich coloration. A exemplary piece for exploring and appreciating the various kiln effects of Bizen clay and ash firing.
Size, D 14.6 cm H 26.1 cm
Condition, Excellent

A very unusual domed box shaped vase by Morino Taimei decorated with green dots and purple numbers on a rich textured blue enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iro-e Tabimakura (Colorful Travel Pillow). It is 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) square, 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall excluding the handles, and is in excellent condition, as can be seen there is a water stain in the upper right corner of the box lid.
Morino Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten N...

Marbled clay in lively vivid colors blends on this large jar by Matsui Koyo, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Mukubai-yu Neriage Hatsuzomon Tsubo. The textures is smooth and shining creating a pleasurable experience for both the eyes and the hands.
Size, D 31.2 cm H 28.1 cm
Condition, Excellent
Matsui was born in 1962 son of LNT Matsui Kosei. Although of course growing up surrounded in pottery, he began apprenticing in earnest under his father in ...

Sadamitsu Sugimoto, a great master of the ceramic art scene in Japan, was led by Tachibana Daiki the great Zen teacher and has been producing a lot of masterpieces through over 40 years .He has been studying the world of “wabi, sabi, and yugen” as his life's theme. This piece was made as "manaitasara" to be used at Japanese cuisine or tea ceremony. His shigaraki(stoneware) pieces are made by archaic way in old style kiln "anagama" burning red pine wood, so those ashes are turned to natura...

Viscous charred feldspar clouded with stormy color adorns this amazing work by Kumano Kuroemon enclosed in the original highly decorated signed wooden box titled Kuma Shino Mizusashi. This has the wow factor in truckloads! A quintessential piece by this artist that his work will remain influential long past the coming generations. Size, D 22.1 cm H 21.2 cm
Condition, Excellent
A ceramic madman, oil painter and recluse, Kuroemon is as eccentric as his pottery predicts....

This is everything we could hope for in a bowl by this esteemed artist, Kumano Kuroemon enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuma Shino Chawan. Like the potter himself, this bowl is large and stable, seemingly welded to the floor by its own weight and presence. On the side of the box is written in a single bold brush stroke a Zen circle.
Size, D 14.2 cm H 9.8 cm
Condition, Excellent
A ceramic madman, oil painter and recluse, Kuroemon is as eccentric ...

Being based in Kyoto we occasionally come across fine Chinese and Korean tea-ware to mix in with our Japanese offerings. Here we have an example of a ceremonial tea bowl by a Korean potter Ji Sun Tak who dedicated his life to reviving ancient techniques of the past by excavating and documentation of a number of historic kiln sites on the Korean Peninsula. Surprisingly light in the hand this piece has a look refined through the centuries, the work of a master artist and winner of one of Koreas hi...

The potter who made this exquisite Oribe tea bowl came to be master of his craft in a rather unusual way. Born into a potting family and eventually taking over as the 6th generations head of the kiln. He carried on the family tradition while incorporating ancient potting techniques and methods from foreign lands. Here in this Oribe piece, you can detect a deeper than usual luster to the black glaze, a certain uniqueness in the style of painting, and a golden hue to the feldspar contrast medium, ...

The trademark glaze on this delightful sake flask (tokkuri) is by none other than 8th generation Hagi potter Masanao Kaneta. Close inspection reveals flecks of reflective powdered shell on a backdrop of thick, translucent glaze with hues of orchid, salmon, and ivory. One of our favorite Hagi potters, if you have not previously experienced works by this artist we cannot recommend him enough.

Like the seven generations who proceeded him, Masanao Kaneta (b. 1953) learned his Hagi tech...

According to Kei Wakao, the artist who crafted this extraordinary work, it took him years of trial-and-error to perfect the unique rice-porcelain glaze covering this finely shaped vase. Not only was it a challenge to achieve the demure milky translucence of the glaze—similar to the appearance of a grain of rice when held to the light—but also to get the right flowing consistency and pooling effect in desired areas.

Born in 1974 as the eldest son to a well-established kiln in th...

A beautiful example of modern Bizen-ware—with a thick feldspar glaze partially covering the clay body allowing the natural ash glaze underneath to show through in areas. This piece along with others by the same artist tend to push the bounds of what you usually see in Bizen pottery.

The craftsman who made this piece, Takahiro Ishii, was born in Tokyo, and, after studying ceramics for a number of years, he moved to Bizen to become a ceramics teacher and later opened his own kiln. H...

An elegant basin by Fukami Sueharu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seihakuji Sanso Hachi. It is 21 cm (8-1/4 inches) diameter, 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. Fukami Sueharu is synonymous with seihakuji celadon. Born in Kyoto in 1947, he graduated the Kyoto Ceramics Research School in 1965. It was in 1981 that he was first recognized followed by grand prize at the Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition the following year. In ’84 he would be awarde...

Lantern Flowers (Hozuki) decorate this snow white porcelain vase by Yamada Yoshiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Henko. The imagery is expertly depicted over a form which has been allowed some freedom, more like the natural shape of a stone than a traditional vase. This is very much representative of this artists style, known for these asymmetrical shapes, natural corners and exquisite palette. It is 31 x 5 x 17.5 cm (12 x 2 x 7 inches) and is in excellent condition.

A humble crackled white bowl by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan. Inside drops of spilled ink and a bit of blank canvas (raw earth) like a minimalist painting from the 1950s. It is 14.5 cm (5-5/8 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koie Ryoji (1938-2020)) was born in Tokoname and graduated the Tokoname industrial school before moving on to work at a tile factory in 1957, where he would lose two fingers in an in...

Iron glaze with hakeme brushed slip design by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan. There is something of a midcentury abstract expressionist painting to it, with minimal coloration, it stands out in its minimalism and simplicity with a quiet elegance. The brush stroke is consistent both inside and out, not allowing a boundary at the rim. It is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koie Ryoji (1938-20...

Descended directly from the Raku household of potters in Kyoto, Ohi is known as some of the highest quality tea-ware in Japan. The 10th generation Chozaemon is especially appreciated for his masterful technique and high-quality pieces. This one has the added distinction of being endorsed by Hōunsai, the 15th head tea master of Urasenke and of having a expertly applied gold repair along the front of the vessel. Perfect for collectors and practitioners of tea alike.

Born the son of t...

A wild work by young pottery sensation Matsumura Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Necrosis TBF. It is 23 x 14.5 x 8 cm (9 x 5-1/2 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist late 2020. Matsumura Jun was born in Chiba Prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo in 1986. He graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2010, and graduated the Tajimi Municipal Ceramics Research Facility in 2015, then went on to the Utatsuyama Research Facility in Kanazawa, leav...

An exceptionally large work by one of the most important contemporary ceramic artists in Japan. Collected widely both here and abroad, a favorite of Daitoku temple in Kyoto who hold a number of his works. Pieces by this artist are held internationally by museums including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Stockholm Museum of Art, and the Urasenke Chado Research Center, Miho Museum.

Trained in a Zen temple before becoming a potter, Tsujimura Shiro (b. 1947) is not your typical craftsm...

Fujiuchi Saeko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Usuhanada Kanyu Chawan. Usuhanada is a traditional Japanese color in the blue tone. Kanyu is glaze crackling. This bowl is 13.5 x 14.5 x 7.5 cm (5-1/4 x 5-3/4 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist late 2020.
Fujiuchi Saeko wsa born in Shiga prefecture (home of Shigaraki) in 1983 but chose to study in the Okayama Prefectureal University (Okayama being the home of Bizen) graduating in 2006. She went on...