Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Tea Articles (55)

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...

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...

This lovely white Hagi chawan rests firmly on a wari kodai or “split foot.” The crackled milky glaze varies in consistency across the curves and contours of the bowl with some areas tending towards a faint brown, adding an interesting dimension to the landscape.

The creator of this piece Matsuura Mugen (1944 - ) has spent his life in the pursuit of perfecting the art of Hagi...

Exquisite glazing featuring a gradation that seems a product of both firing conditions and careful nurture by the artist. This piece displays a wonderful balance and nice sense of three-dimensionality.

In fine condition, this tea bowl measures 4.7 inches in diameter (11.8cm) and stands 3.3 inches tall (8.2cm). The bowl comes with its own wood box with poetic name "朝日" (Asahi) inscribed on the inside cover.

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...

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...

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...

Over 400 years ago the first Takatori potter known as “Hachizan” was brought to Japan by the powerful Kuroda clan and was tasked with establishing a kiln in the town of Fukuoka...

The term “Raku” was once reserved for a style of pottery produced by a specific household in Kyoto that began over 450 years ago. Over the years, as it gained popularity, several branch kilns were established (Ōhi, Tamamizu) and a number of other lineages arose making pieces in the style of Raku, though they were not formally associated with the Raku household...

The creator of this lovely Hagi chawan, Hirose Tanga (b. 1939) is the master-potter of Tenpozan kiln in the city of Hagi. When I acquired this piece I thought it reminded me of bowls produced by Yoshida Shuen (apprenticed under NLT Miwa Kyusetsu). As it turns out, Yoshida worked alongside Hirose in establishing Tenpozan and in training young potters in the art of “oni” Hagi which utilizes a rough textured clay and a milky translucent glaze (like the bowl shown here)...

Located at the foot of an active volcano, the Ougaku kiln specializes in a type of pottery know as Sakurajima-yaki. The kiln is headed by Hashino Midori and run entirely by female potters who strive to infuse each piece they produce with the “energy” of the surrounding environment. Pieces such as the one featured here are made from volcanic ash and mineral-rich onsen spring water giving them a unique luster that is difficult to reproduce...

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...

According to the potter who crafted this fine piece, “The clay from our area in the north is alive. We listen to it in order to divine the most suitable objects to create.” Here we see the clay wished to become a well-formed ceremonial tea bowl with an impressionistic rendition of a Japanese Iris. Simple, well formed, and with a soft rusticity; a cup of tea becomes a meditation on the charms of quiet country living.

Originally from Iwate (b...

A mature work by an artist who’s career as a potter has spanned over 55 years. This beautiful white Hagi bowl by Takenouchi Akihiro (1937-) displays a quiet elegance that sets the mind at ease.

Takenouchi is a member of the Japan Arts and Crafts Association and the winner of various prizes and awards for pieces he produced at the Sousou kiln which he established in 1967.

The piece is 4.5 inches in diameter (11.5cm) and stands 3.7 inches tall (9.5cm) and comes with a ...

A captivating piece described on the box as “aka e sakana bun” which can be loosely translated as, Depiction of Fish with Red Overglaze. Okuda (1920-1999) was a student of both Hamada Shoji and Kawaii Kanjiro and his kiln was visited by a number of well-known artists including the likes of Bernard Leach. A distinctive style following the mingei or, “folk craft,” movement of the mid-20th century, this piece is a delight for the eyes and functional in the hand.

The bowl is 4.7...

In Japan every season and every phase of the year is marked by the presence of a flower, the most noted of course being the cherry blossoms signifying the long-awaited arrival of spring. Lesser known to the outside world is the importance of the iris flower marking the end of spring and the beginning of the summer months. Growing along river banks and in other wetland, the iris is thought to have purifying properties to ward off evil and is also associated with the expression of heroic deeds. Th...

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. In the process of shaping the bowls, potters ha...

This remarkable tea bowl is from the kilns of Yoshida Shuen (1940-1987)—an apprentice of Miwa Kyusetsu (1910-2012) who was awarded the status of Living National Treasure in 1983. It features a warm crackled glazing with a white translucent overcoat that beads in areas.

Hagi-yaki has a tradition stretching back over 400 years and is a high-fired stoneware type of pottery. Hagi-ware is prized for its subdued colors and classical features, especially the glazing, which is often clea...