Looking as though it were cast from molten rock, this chawan has a very earthy and primal feel to it. The rich clay shows through in places hinting of ochre, yellow, and even a subtle metallic blue—cleverly mimicking the way mineral formations appear in nature...

This is an excellent hand-carved Japanese Netsuke depicting Shoki, the demon queller, in his usual standing position, with his sword drawn. Although he appears to have captured one of them, the other Oni is playfully standing on his shoulders while pulling one of Shoki's ears. Outstanding detail and form symmetry characterizes this miniature sculpture...

Japanese woodblock print by artist Makino Munenori (1940-present) titled 'Tenka' (or Heavenly Flowers) in pencil, number 107/180, and signed in bottom corner. The colors used are extremely beautiful and gives a surreal feel to this piece. Dated 1988. Size: 16.5" height, 22" width

Japanese vintage woodblock print by artist Yoshio Kanamori (1922-present) titled 'Lake Mountain'. Numbered and inscribed in pencil, signed with red cartouche. Size: 19.25" height, 13.25" width

A breathtaking framed woodblock print by artist Takahiko Hayashi (1961-present) titled "The Wind Filled with Roots, Countless Small Beginnings". Hundreds of small overlapping swirls may represent gusts of wind blowing over bold blades of grass, with a gradating background of golden and deep brown hues. The top of a single, transparent red block sits in the very bottom center of the print. Signed, titled, and numbered 47/50 in pencil...

A unique Japanese kanban (shop sign) in the shaped of a pipe, with gilt kanji. It hangs from a length of iron chain. A very fun and attractive piece. Vintage age c1950 Size: 8" height (17.5" hanging) 26.5" length

Framed Japanese woodblock print by artist Okiie Hashimoto (1899-1993) Signed in pencil, with inscription and artist's cartouche. Circa 1959. Size: (entire frame) 35.25" height, 29.25" width (artwork only) 22.5" height, 17.5" width

Occasionally as I’m browsing through the temple markets of Kyoto or perusing backstreets tea-ware shops, an attractive piece will catch my eye for no particular reason. When this happens, I typically buy it immediately without hesitation, trusting that I will be able to decipher the Chinese script and give it proper attribution through the course of my research. In this case, I was only able to make it half-way there...

This impressive han-tsutsu Shino chawan was made by the late 13th generation Mino potter Kato Seizo (1930-1979, Kagekiyo). Kato’s works are well-regarded throughout Japan and he has won a number of honors and awards over the course of his career as an artist. Not surprisingly, he is equally appreciated abroad and by foreign experts of Japanese pottery...

This brilliant Tenmoku chawan displays gold and flaxen hues interspersed with dark ash glaze. The piece rests upon an unglazed clay pedestal showing the iron-rich clay the bowl is formed from.

Shodai-ware has a long and storied history stretching back as far as the Nara (710 - 794) and Heian (794 - 1192 ) periods...

A very elegant and mature tsutsu style chawan created by Ito Tozan III (1900-1970), third generation of the Ito Tozan line of potters. Tozan, who at one time worked in the kiln of Hamada Shoji, learned pottery from his father Ito Tozan II (1871-1937) and his grandfather Ito Tozan I (1846-1920) from a very young age...

This magnificent Shino-yaki chawan, done in a rediscovered Momoyama period style, came from the kilns of one of Japan’s most celebrated and talented potters.

Arakawa Toyozo (1894 - 1985), designated in 1955 as one of but a handful of National Living Treasures, is best known for rediscovering lost techniques of pottery from the Momoyama and early Edo periods...

This chawan was fired in the kilns of one of Kyoto’s best known raku-yaki potters, Sasaki Shoraku III (1944-). The Shoraku line began when the grandfather of the current potter established a kiln near the famous Kiyomizu temple, nestled at the foot of the eastern mountains in Kyoto. In 1945, the kiln was moved to Kameoka near the Yada shrine where it remains today.

Raku teabowls are made by hand, without the use of a potter's wheel...

A pair of Japanese wooden carvings of the Nio, or wrathful guardians to the Buddha. While Buddhism beliefs are typically pacifist, the Nio justified physical force in order to defend against evil and are usually found on either side of a temple door. The Nio called Misshaku Kongo or Agyo keeps his mouth open to represent the first sound in the Sanskrit language "a", symbolizing birth and overt violence...

A dazzling Hagi-ware bowl with cherry petal and earthen tones made by one of Japan's great potters. The 14th potter of the Sakakura line of potters Sakakura Shinbei XIV (1917-1975) was designated an important human cultural treasure of Yamaguchi prefecture in 1972...

A captivating bowl created by Kyoto potter Kawai Zuiho, most likely in the early 70’s. This bowl features a red undercoat which is visible in places through the greenish overglaze. The effect is quite striking and sure to attract the eye. With a convenient indent on the side, this bowl fits comfortably in the hand.

Kyo-Yaki is high-fired ceramic and pottery that centers around the Higashiyama district of Kyoto...

A charming akaraku chawan done by third generation potter Kato Ryusei. This piece was fired at the Akahiko Kama which has produced pottery in Aichi prefecture since 1956 and who have the distinction of being commissioned not only by the Showa Emperor and Empress but also by the later Heisei Emperor.

With a soft luminance and subtle charm, this piece would be an valued addition to the collection of any budding tea practitioner.

The bowl is 4.7 inches in diameter (12cm)...

A beautiful Hagi-yaki chawan done by well-known artist Kaneda Keien (1949-). Keien is an 8th generation potter who has been producing works for over 40 years and is the winner of several awards for excellence. A distinctive feature of his works is that they utilize an iron-rich soil collected on the island of Mishima in the Sea of Japan. Pieces made using this soil tend to display a soft cherry petal hue which gives these bowls an excellent “keshiki” or what might be referred to as a “cera...