A thin roughly textured plate by avant garde Yagi Kazuo titled cryptically Nanbanzara (The Southern Barbarians Plate) and enclosed in a fine Shiho Kiri-wood box endorsed by his son Yagi Akira. It is 10 inches (26 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Volumes have been written about pioneering artist Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) and I am sure he needs no introduction. His birth on Independence Day seems to have been a portent of things to come...

A striking large Han-zutsu Shino bowl by Kato Kageaki with cotton buffer and silk bag enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Linear forms lie shadowlike below the thick pitted shino glaze burnt red on the edges, the body torn and cut creating a vivacious landscape for the senses. The bowl is 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in perfect condition...

Enigmatic green and red florals capped by ascending butterflies alternate with bird images in the cathedral-like windows on the side of this large vessel by Kyoto artist Yamazaki Koyo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 13-1/2 inches (34 cm) tall and in fine condition, dating circa 1950. Koyo (1890-1979) studied under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI, and was displayed consistently in many National and Local Exhibitions...

A beautiful early 20th C. Japanese black ink stone in excellent condition, marked. L:6" W:4-3/4"

Mashiko ware Vase by local potter Outsuka Sadao. Impressed Inlay Patterning. H. 12.75" x Body Dia. 6.5". Stamped at foot "Sada". Purchased in 1965. Good condition, holds water - tested. Condition notes: you can see in enlargement #2 that the vase has a lean/list to one side. Also, there is a "kamakizu" (kiln scar) of a small rock burst on the body...

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Arifuku Hot Springs, Iwami, 1924
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.25 x 10.25 inches.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo. Bears the Watanabe "A seal," indicating a first edition.
Condition: Very good with faint matte line near image edge.

A large Plate by Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Mori-sara. Splashes of black supplant the rich red Mashiko glaze. It is 12 inches (31.5 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Hamada Shoji was born in Tokyo, and enrolled in the Tokyo Technical University at the age of 19. In 1918 he met the important British potter Bernard Leach, and the history of ceramic arts was forever changed...

Mashiko Yaki Oozara (Large Plates), Dia. 12.25" (31.5cm); Vintage production, purchased in 1965. These plates feature patterns from the four seasons: Ume (Plum) for Spring, Shobu (Iris) for Summer, Nekoyanagi (Pussywillow) for Autumn, and Kiku (Chrysanthemum) for Winter. These types of plates were made using molds and then hand-painted as stock items sold in Mashiko in the 1960's & '70s...

A sculptural Green form by Yamazaki Akira (Yamazaki Koyo II, b. 1927), one of several enigmatic works we have acquired by this artist dating from the 1970s to early 80s. With the right lighting we can see a pattern of large black spots under the glaze on the bottom half of the body reminding me of the flintstones. The vase is 17 x 7-1/2 x 10 inches (43 x 19 x 25 cm) tall and in fine condition, signed on the base Akira. There is no box...

A beautifully shaped green vessel by Miyashita Zenju enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It stands 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall, 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) diameter and is in fine condition.
Zenju (1901-1968) studied pottery in Japan, Korea and China, and is held in the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art as well as the Kyoto National Museum. Work by the artist was exhibited pre-war at the Bunten and Nitten National Exhibitions as well as the 1939 and 1940 World Exposition...

Ohara Shoson (Koson)
Little egret on the bough of a willow tree
Size: Chuban. Image size is approximately 9.75 x 6.75 inches.
Date: ca. 1930s.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Illustrated as S14.7 on page 207 of "Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Reigle Newland)."
Tipped at top edge to original cardstock.
Condition: Excellent.

A perfect example of why Shigaraki is one of Japans most popular ceramic styles; a large tsubo urn covered in Hai-yu ash glaze by Yamamoto Ryuzan, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Thick glaze covers the shoulder and runs in glassy rivulets down the charred front, while the back of the Tsubo, positioned away from the flame, remains pale white. Bidoro, flying ash all over with a dark kutsuki on front and brittle molten ash-charring at the base...

Ohara Koson
Sailing boat near sandy coast
Date: 1900s-1910s.
Size: Chuban. Approximately 10.5 x 8.25 inches.
Reference: K44.21 in Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Reigle Newland).
Condition: Excellent. The original "Made in Japan" stamp on the verso shows through a bit in the sky.
A very rarely seen seascape and Fuji view.

A red earthen cylinder inlayed about the rim with dragonflies by JCS award winner Imai Masayuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The dragonflies (also called Katsumushi, or insect of victory) are inlayed into the red clay with white and buff clay, covered with resist, and a thin iron slip applied over the remainder of the vase. The slip color is so closely matched to the underlying brick-red clay one cannot see the difference. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 4 inches (10 cm) dia...

Ohara Koson
Scops owl and tree sparrow on a branch, another tree sparrow in flight below
Size: Dai-oban. Approximately 16.5 x 10.25 inches.
Date: Early 20th century.
Publisher: Nishinomiya Yosaku.
Reference: #K20.7, page 187 in Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Amy Reigle Newland)
Condition: Tonal differences from framing apparent along the top and bottom.
This powerful owl is very rarely seen.

A charred Tsubo blasted with ash by Takahashi Rakusai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It reflects the style of early Shigaraki, with an engraved crosshatch belt circling the flaring mouth. The piece is 8 inches (21 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition but for one tiny nick in the base.
Born in Shigaraki in 1900, Rakusai was considered one of the true masters of Shigaraki and Iga-yaki, along with Naokata and later Michio. He worked toward the revival...

A sizable rectangular platter covered in pale mottled earth-toned glaze by Shigeya Iwabuchi (1925-1993) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A simple slab of clay, 1 inch (2.2 cm) thick, curled up in the corners. The simplicity is refreshing, the disparate surface natural and cool to the eye. It measures 16 by 11-1/2 inches (40 x 30 cm) and is in perfect condition. Shigeya was born in 1925 in Kyoto. He graduated the Kyoto Ceramics division of the Kyoto Industrial Research School, and ...

Mashiko ware lidded jar by local potter Oushima Shou. H. 14.5" x Body Dia. 10.5". Purchased in 1965. Mottled light green Irabo-type glaze with some color changes on body. There are some chip repairs on the inside of the lid done in lacquer and synthetic gold (see detail photo.) The post-war years in Mashiko saw a growth in decorative pottery such as this. Previosuly a traditional pottery town making strictly utilitarian wares since 1853, it was put on the map worldwide when potter Shoji Hamada ...

Enigmatic script in Doro-e raised design decorates the sides of this simple white glazed chawan by 20th centiury Master Kawai Kanjiro enclosed in a wooden box endorsed by his wife Tsune. Brief tinges of subdued red appear through he cloudy white glaze. It is 5 inches (12.5 cm) diameter, 4 inches ((10 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Kanjiro was a true artist by nature, and together with Hamada Shoji, set a pattern of study for modern potters. After graduating the Tokyo School of Industrial ...

A spectacular Iga Tsubo by Shimizu Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Bidoro, Tombo-no-me, tobi-hai, shiseki…the surface is an exploration of kiln affects, every slight turn bringing new surprises. It is 15 inches (38.5 cm) diameter, 17 inches (43 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Shimizu Hiroshi was born the grandson of the first generation potter Shimizu Rakuzan in Mie prefecture in1941. He began work...

A tall stem-footed Hagi flower vessel enclosed in the original wooden box by Yamato Yasuo. It was created in that postwar age when once again expression was finding a voice in Japan, and the early avant-garde potters such as Yamato Yasuo and Kumakura Junkichi were reaching beyond tradition as a means of verbalizing their interpretation of Japan in a new age. Here enigmatic shapes rise from the slightly striated Hagi clay, the entire covered in pale blue tinged glaze with outlines of iron and s...

Japanese framed print by sosaku-hanga artist Haku Maki (1924-2000) titled "Work 73-122". Depiction of a bright embossed persimmon against black background. Signed in pencil with red artist's cartouche. Set in a black and gold wooden frame. Size: 17.25" height, 14" width (entire frame) 11.25" height, 8.5" width

A bottle form vase by important 20th century artist Yagi Kazuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 4 x 4-1/2 x 7-1/2 inches (10 x 11.5 x 19 cm) and in excellent condition.
Volumes have been written about pioneering artist Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) and I am sure he needs no introduction. His birth on Independence Day seems to have been a portent of things to come. He was the son of the ceramicist Yagi Isso, and grew up surrounded by the characters of the Goja-zaka potter...

White splashes into the pale terracotta of this large basin by world renowned artist Suzuki Osamu enclosed in the original signed kiri-wood box. The bowl measures almost 12 inches (28.5 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and is in excellent condition, stamped on the base with the character Su in a square cartouche.
Osamu was, along with Kumakura Junkichi, Hikaru Yamada and Yagi Kazuo, one of the founding members of the influential Sodeisha (Crawling Through Mud Association), a grou...

An interesting tubular shaped Mashiko ware vase by Hasegawa Tsugio. The vase is done in the ash glaze method where the ash that circulates inside the kiln covers the fired piece creating interesting patterns and colors, late 20th century. Size: Height: 8" Length: 5" Width: 2.25"

Yuteki black slips down over the pourous, crackled white of this bold work by Taniguchi Ryozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 8-1/2 inches (21.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition. The box is darkened with age.
Ryozo (1926-1996) studied initially under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI. He was first accepted into the Japan Academy of Arts exhibition in 1948, and subsequently into the Nitten National exhibition in 1951 and exhibited there often after, receiving many prizes inclu...

Graffito is scratched into the white crackled glaze of this bowl by world renowned artist Kumakura Junkichi (1920-1985) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The piece is 6 inches (15.5 cm) tall, 4-1/2 inches (11 cm) diameter and in perfect condition. See also the previously listed bowl by the same artist.
Junkichi began working in ceramics in the 1940s, his works submitted to innumerable National and International Exhibitions including the Japan Art Festival, New York and the int...

Splashes of earthen color decorate the deep sides of this large open dish by Living National Treasure Tamura Koichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The bowl is 15-1/2 (39 cm) diameter, 4 inches (10.5 cm) tall. The box is worn but still sturdy, and the bowl is in perfect condition. Koichi graduated from the Tokyo University of Fine arts Where he later taught), and took up an apprenticeship under (later) Living National Treasure Tomimoto Kenkichi. With a very impressive career, Koi...

Two glazes meet in the banded center of this deep Mashiko Tsutsu-chawan by Mingei Master and Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kake-Ai-Yu Dohimo Chawan.  The shape is very much in the Mashiko tradition, with a prominent ridge in the center (Do means the midriff, and himo is a line or chord) of a strong form which exudes confidence and strength born from utilitarian purpose.  It is a superb example of work by this most sought artist. 
...

Mashiko ware black glaze pitcher. H. 10" x Body Dia. 6". Small chip on rim repaired in lacquer & synthetic gold. Purchased in 1965. Mashiko wares from Tochigi Prefecture have gained a worldwide reputation since potter Shoji Hamada settled there in 1923. It's been said that such handles as the one seen on this piece, and not typically Japanese, were introduced by Hamada and by Bernard Leach into Mashiko and other pottery Japanese pottery towns. This is a fine example of such a western form produc...

Toshi Yoshida (1911~1995)
Depicting: Snow scene
A woodblock print tipped at the top to a Japanese Christmas card from the early 1950s. Please photo of the inside of the card.
Signed "T. Yoshida"
Condition: Excellent.

A stunning Globular Bizen vase like burnished bronze covered by a dusting of ash by living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu enclosed in an artist signed wooden box. The style is called Sangiri, and Toshu has pulled it off to perfection here, the keen characteristic suiting this artists work. It is likely an older (pre-war) work boxed later. The vase is 7 inches (17 cm) diameter, roughly the same height. There is a mark on the base, roughly 2 inches long. Toshu, (1906-1994) began working in ...

This is a stunner; a piece exemplifying the style of this incredible artist! Radical black florals decorate the rich iron sides of the bowl, tapering ever so slightly closed toward the top to help trap the aroma of the green tea within. Imagine the color contrast of dark earth-tones with the foamy maccha inside! It comes enclosed in a fine kiri-wood box endorsed by Kawai Koha, current head of the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. The bowl is 4-3/4 inches (12 cm) in diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and...

Red highlights the salt glazed body of this multifaceted tsubo by Seto Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Enseki-yu Tamentori Tsubo. Like stepping stones stomach scales of a snake climb in concentric arcs about the body of the base, the white covering most with red highlighting the edges. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition.
Seto Hiroshi (1941-1994) studied pottery under Living National Treasures Tomimoto Kenkichi and...

Rope and cloth patterns are impressed creating deeply textured shadows on this free form ceramic sculpture awarded the Kyoto Governors prize, and dated on bottom Heisei 10 (1998) by Yasuda Kayo. A pale ash glaze runs in sheets and rivulets over the lined and creased surface, with the top bursting open. This piece is 15 kilograms, 16 inches (40 cm) diameter, 18 inches (45 cm) tall and in fine condition. All the Yasuda family pieces are from the Matsui family collection of Fushimi, an extensive...

A rare silverplate cocktail recipe disk by Napier. The silverplate case holds a celluloid dial that can be rotated to show printed recipes for twenty classic cocktails. A jump bail allows the disk to be hung by a chain around a cocktail shaker or decanter. The rim is marked "Napier Pat. Pend." We've never seen this particular Napier design before.

Origin: America, ca. 1935. Condition: very good, very minor plating wear as is typical of Napier pieces. Dimensions: 2" diameter.