Catalog: Artists: Ceramics: Pottery (732)

These expressive forms utilize the clays natural textures to bring out the depths of the oribe green, and electric shimmers of blue flash on the surface in random patterns like heat lightning.  This sake set was created by the very popular and hard to find Higashida Shigemasa and come enclosed in their original signed wooden boxes titled Oribe Tokkuri and Guinomi respectively. 
Size, The Tokkuri: is W 9.5  cm ( 3-3/4 inches)  H 14.6  cm (5-3/4 inches)  Size, Guinomi: is W 5.2  ...

Guinomi creates a very organic feel.  The bulbous form, like some tuber or bulb found in nature, a sake-flower bulb, shows scars where kutsuki (other items) have fused to it in the heat of the conflagration.  Allow this bulb to grow to fruition, blossoming into a shared night of conversation and company or a quiet night of music and moonlight…
Size, The Tokkuri: is W 10.2  cm ( 4 inches)  H 13.6  cm (5-1/2 inches) 
Size, Guinomi: is W 7.7  cm ( 3-1/4 inches)  H 5.5  cm ...

Once again Abe Anjin has proved his mastery of traditional form with this superb rendition of Momoyama styling enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Hanaire,signed on base as well inside the vase...

A faceted bowl by Hamada Shinsaku exhibiting the superb sense of design to be expected of this illustrious lineage enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shio-yu Tetsu Sabi Mentori Chawan (Salt Glazed Iron Faceted Tea Bowl).  The form is very much in the Mingei taste, A beautifully turned wan-gata with thick walls which have been sliced away, creating an architectural quality.  To this is added a dusting of salt which textures the surface.  Like many great bowls it must be held to ...

A multi faceted Vase by Hamada Shinsaku coated in swipes of blue-salt glaze enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shio-yu Ai Henko (Salt Glazed Blue Vase).  On one side is a blown blue spatter like Jackson Pollock, yet on the opposite fingers traces like Shiraga Kazuo.  The rich blues are punctuated by dustings of rust.  Either side is a pleasure. 
Size,W 15.8 cm ( 6-1/4 inches)  H  cm ( 8-1/4 inches) 
Condition, Excellent 
Born the second son of Hamada Sho...

A seminal work by Wakao Toshisada adorned with the quintessential elements of this artists work, a moon in gold over silver flowers on a gray Nezumi-Shino fold-textured ground.  It comes in the original signed wooden box titled very simply Nezumi Shino Hanaike.  Although I am not a botanist, I imagine the yu-gao (bottle gourd flower, called the face of evening in Japanese) opening to reveal its splendor to the rising moon, visible through the drying autumn grasses.  A superb example of the em...

An Iga Kogo by Kishimoto Kennin and Tamba Kogo by Nishihata Tadashi, both superb examples of their craft and tradition, both by these prominent artists and both enclosed in the original signed wooden boxes.  The Kennin piece is a small square reminiscent of a pillar stone from some long lost temple, the edges covered in earth, the round top lost in a covering of moss.  Here he has breathed new life into the traditional form, both paying homage and yet leaving his indelible mark on it to carry ...

Spectacular kiln affects dapple this playful form by artist Sugimoto Sadamitsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Hanire.  Ash has encrusted the base so thickly he has had to grind it off, this happens when the piece gets buried up to a point in the ash on the kiln flooror up against a wall, and the works come up together this cooled encrustation.  That combines with the natural sunrise colors or “Hi-iro” of the clay, and the glassy green beads wrapping around the jocula...

A profusion of color descends the granulated surface of this traditional form by legendary potter Nakagawa Jinenbo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Chosen Karatsu Mimitsuki Hana-ire.  The grandiose embellishment of color creates a sublime sense of tension between the dark glazed and color infusion.  Although very much in the Chosen Karatsu tradition, the execution is unequivocally contemporary. 
Size, W 14.8 cm ( 6 inches)  H 24.5  cm ( 9-1/2 inches) 
Conditi...

ash blasted and bursting with inclusions, this chawan tea bowl by Otani Shiro comes with everything you could want from this representative Shigaraki potter.  Over a terracotta clay burnt ash gray a smattering of pale flying ash provides the backdrop for molten drips of foggy green and yellow shizen yu glaze.  The shape conforms beautifully to the palm, showing the master skill of this important artist. 
Size, W 12.8 cm ( 5-1/4inches)  H 9.9  cm ( 4 inches) 
Condition, Excellen...

Like the iridescent moon itself, this teabowl seems to glow softly from beyond the twilight blue, a luminescence not reflected, but born from within.  It is an exceptional work by Maeda Masahiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled very simply Iro Chawan.  (Colored Tea Bowl) 
Size, D 11.8 cm (4-3/4 inches)  H 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) 
Condition, Excellent 
Maeda Masahiro (b...

A deep bowl pelted with bluish-green salt glaze revealing patches of combed white by Hamada Shoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ai-Shioyu Kushime Chawan. The form is composed, rising perfectly from the heavy base to the light rim. The glaze has crawled and settled into lights and shadows, capturing that effect so sought in salt glazes, wth the added feature of the comb marks in the clay, which add a sensory dimension not restricted to vision...

This Tsubo by Tsujimura Kai is amazing and all attitude. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shizen-yu Tsubo. Green ash has poured in a torrent around the form, settling into glossy black around the base on one side and tingeing the rim with charcoal fingers. Huge eyelets create bulge from the surface on one side, evidence of how it rested on its side in the kiln. This is one not to be missed, and one we will be hard pressed to let go...

Shades of red ripple like fire in the kiln across the variegated surface of this large Koro by Shino master Kato Toyohisa enclosed in the original wooden box titled Aka-Shino Koro. Whenever one looks into a wood burning kiln during the firing, this is what is visible; ash molten on the sides of pots turned red hot by flames blasting through, long tendrils of fire wrapping about the wavering forms...

Staring into the garden through a window in the lattice wall, bamboo, rising gracefully from the mossy floor, rustles slightly in the breeze. This scene is captured perfectly on this chawan by Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gozu Zogan Kusabana Mon Wan. The Jomon rope impressions for which he is so well known create the sense of lattice-work...

A black cloak is draped from the shoulders of this mysterious character lurking in the shadows of the tea room by legendary potter Hori Ichiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seto-guro Chawan. Matte over much of the surface, someplaces the blackness shines like midnight through the fog, the rough sandy texture of the clay reveals itself to the hands more than to the eye, adding a sense of intimacy when holding the bowl...

Silver waves ripple like the summer seas around the Mt. Fuji like cone of this iconic form by Morino Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Namijo Mon Henko (Silver Wave Pattern Vessel). The unsual base of white lends this piece a singular quality among his repertoire, and would be a wonderful compliment to other works by this esteemed artist...

A dark flower blooms magnificently on this black form by Takauchi Shugo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tetsu-E Kuro Chawan.
Size, W 13.4cm (5.1/4 inches) H 11.4cm ( 4.1/2 inches)
Condition, Excellent
Takauchi Shugo was born in Tokyo in 1937, opening his kiln in Mashiko at the age of 31...

A very rare boxed set of 3 cups by potters of several ancient kiln areas: Bizen by Kakurezaki Ryuichi, Hagi by Miwa Kazuhiko and Ki-Seto by Suzuki Goro. What great fun to break out this set on a night with friends, sharing tastes of various sake from the hands of some of Japans top potters in various traditions. Something not simply to be seen or collected, but used and experienced. It comes enclosed in the original wooden box signed by the artists...

Lavender clouds like rain threatening on a foggy landscape form on the surface of this cool White Hagi chawan by important artist Kaneta Masanao enclosed in the original signed wooden box The style is Kurinuki, not formed on a wheel but cut and worked from a block of clay, an approach the artist is famous for...

An unusual chawan draped with blue over leopard-skin like some Osaka Obachan on a Friday night romp by Takiguchi Kazuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The apple shaped form is pleasant on the hands, not heavy or unruly. A large drip had sagged off the side, affixing itself to the kiln floor, where it has been cut off. A bowl very much in this artists avant-garde spirit.
Size, W 11.2 cm (4.1/2 inches) H 8.7 cm (3.1/2 inches)
Condition, Excellent
Ka...

An Oribe vessel covered in pale earth-tones scribbled with nudes by Suzuki Goro enclosed in the original wooden box titled Yahichida Tsubo. A crow perches on the base like a signature cawing out GORO! Yahichida was a style of Oribe popular in the Momoyama and early Edo periods. That said it is likely that they did not decorate with such audacious flair back then.
Size, W 15.5 cm ( 6 inches) H 26.2 cm ( 10.1/4 inches)
Condition, Excellent
Suzuki Goro has a list of ...

This bowl is reminiscent of a colorfully striped Nishijin-ori Kimono, blue and green and yellow on a base color of hemp. The rim rises and falls in a rhythmic dance aong the broad shoulder. Created by modern master Ajiki Hiro, it comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shio-Yu Wan, Basara. Basara is a term in Japanese aesthetics associated with the challenge of traditional ideals during the Muromachi period. It is also the name of a style of contemporary and colorful dance wh...

Strikingly bold patterns revealed through curtains of copper green play across the surface of this dramatic work by Ikeda Shogo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Sea Turtles, Castles, Cherry Blossoms and Lattice Bamboo Fences, a smorgasbord of Japanese iconography painted and carved into the gritty clay.
Size, W 12.5 cm (5.1/4inches) H 9.5 cm (3.1/2inches)
Condition, Excellent
Born in Kagoshima, the southern extreme of the Japanese main islands in 1976, S...

White slip lopes and wavers and splashes over this slightly trumpeting chawan by master of that genre Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hikidashi no Chawan. Innovative as always, the application of glaze has been performed in several layers and styles, giving the bowl a unique appearance which sets it apart from others. Not outlandish like many of his works, it is highly suitable to the quiet reservation and aesthetic of the tea room, yet retains his distinctive flav...

Hayashi Shotaro is one of Japan’s preeminent potters, and he has outdone himself again with this mouthwatering work decorated with a pagoda in dark iron silhouette against an iron red sky fading to darkness at the rim. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Manyou Yamato-ro Henko (Manyo is his signature glaze and Yamato-ro refers to imagery of old Japan). This piece was shown at his exhibition celebrating 45 years of potting, and is featured in the catalog image number 19...

This very liquid form seems already imbibed with rice wine, the base stable while the sides tilt slightly, sagging on the stool, a superb work by Abe Anjin. It comes wrapped with the original stamped wrapping cloth enclosed in the original wooden box titled Bizen Shuki and in turn enclosed in a black lacquered wooden box also stamped by the artist. Obviously, he felt this was deserved of greatness.
Size, W 6.7 cm ( 2 1/4 inches) H 6.1 cm ( 2 1/2 inches)
Condition, Excellent...

A charred Ash Glazed Hento by Kumano Kurouemon enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Echizen Ko-wakamaru Hento and signed To Kurouemon. Two slabs joined by a wide belt, one side slightly sagging like Hotei’s belly, lines scorring the sides. Glaze is crisp on the neck and one side, but grows quite liquid as it drips down the other. The title is like the cocky little swordsman Ushi Wakamaru, the neck cocked slightly to the side in an arrogant parry combined with the Shigaraki Term ...

Thick white vitrifies over bottomless black, creating a stark sense of drama on the torn form of this outstaniding work by world renowned potter Miwa Kazuhiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kakan (Floral Crown). It is quite tall, and with a single flower would be an excellent complement to the alcove of a modern Tea Room. The raw red clay is visible benath where the glaze has crawled away to allow a peek inside.
Size, H 36.5 cm (14.1/4inches)
Condition, Exc...

Black splashes over spattered white slip draw the eye into the window in the darkenss on the side of this exquisite chawan tea bowl by master fo that genre Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled understatedly Chawan. The title is the only thing simple about this complex combination of contemporary clay, glaze, tradition, form, function, past and future. A simply stunning work by the master of tea bowls.
Size, W 12.6 cm (5 inches) H 8.3 cm (3.5 inches)
C...

Here is a piece with attitude! A proud Iga vase with two “ears” like elbows on its hips by Kishimoto Kennin enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Hanaire Somimi. Interestingly he has written the last characters as one instead of two in the title. The style is taken from Momoyama era works, -tweaked a little with typical Kennin flare, and looks as if it just stepped from the kiln goin “What do you think?”
Size, W 14.5 cm (6 inches) H 25.5 cm (10.1/2inches)

A set of five Yunomi Tea cups showing off to a tee the many styles of Oribe for which Suzuki Goro is known. Narumi Oribe ,Yashichida Oribe ,Ao Oribe and everything in between with just as varied decorations. Each is uniquely engraved with the artist’s signature and they come enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oribe Yunomi.
Size, W 5.5cm (2.1/2inches) H 7.9cm ( 4 inches)
Condition, Excellent
Suzuki Goro has a list of shows and prizes too lengthy to ...

A tall Sake bottle with handle deeply dragged and scratched by Yamada Kazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ao-Oribe Sake Tsugi. It struts forward at a jaunty gate, as if whistling a tune on a summer day in the park, oblivious to all. It is dressed from top to bottom in oribe green, the scarred body filling in the recesses forming dark pools and fractures.
Size, W 9.8cm (4 inches) H 18.3 cm (7 inches)
Condition, Excellent
Kazu was born in Tokoname c...

Thick ash covers the ovoid form of this exquisite Chaire by Tsujimura Kai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Nostalgic with its glaze effects and form immersed in tradition, yet full of the world today, contemporary, breathing, alive. To one side a crescent moon shaped kutsuki forms a rakish grin, inviting the viewer to join in the merriment. It is a masterpiece by this young artist.
Size, W 7.1cm(3-1/4 inches) H 11.1cm (4-1/2 inches)
Condition, Excellent , encased i...

Here another igneous form by Fujioka Shuhei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Igyo Tsubo (Iga disparately Shaped Tsubo). Like the previous Shigaraki work, this shows a state of nature, not a state of intent, as if the piece came to be. It is this sense of raw elementalism which puts Japanese pottery apart, and gives it its unique place of reverence in world ceramics. Fujioka himself states The spirit of Old Iga, its body born in these lands and the soul of which transcends...

Thick ash covers the squat form of this exquisite traditionally shaped tsubo by Sugimoto Sadamitsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Uzukumaru Tsubo and annotated by Tea Master Tachibana Daiki of Daitokuji Temple. One can easily see how a traditional Zen master would wish to associate his name with the work. Like the answer to a Zen Koan, the piece appears to have always been there. It is amorphic, clothed in such a thickness of ash and coal that it appears to have f...