This large and imposing Oribe mizusashi was made by long time Mino potter, Hayashi Shotaro. Thrown out of a fine Mino clay, much of the surface was cut away to create a surface of wonderful flat planes and rough areas of faceted clay which was then glaze in Hayashi's rich Oribe glaze. The surface shows a wonderful array of tonal variations with areas of deep greens and thinner areas showing almost to the buff of the clay...

A splash of metalic glaze runs down opposite a splash of thick Kaki-colored glaze on the highly textured earth-colored surface of this bottle shaped vase by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Titiled Tetsu-yu Nagashi Bin, this dates from early in his career, 1960-1965. It is 14.5 cm (5-3/4 inches) diameter, 22.5 cm (9 inches) tall and in excellent condition. Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer...

An exquisite hand-formed koro, the tri-legged form hammered from a single sheet of copper gilded with gold and signed on the base Goro. The top is created in the same manner pierced with three holes, and it has an insert of the same alloy to keep heat away from the softly gleaming body. It is 13 cm (5 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Uchidashi is a traditional Japanese metalworking technique that involves hammering or embossing designs onto the surface of metal objects...

Blue glaze fills in the embedded patterns in this Tokkuri by Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gosu Zogan Jomon Tokkuri. The vibrant blue is a bit of a departure for this artist whose work is often sedate, relying on the texture and patterns of the Jomon rope design over dependence on colorful glazes. It is 15 cm (6 inches) tall and in excellent condition...

Described on the wood box as a tokkuri (sake flask) with kin-kousai (metallic Iris) glaze, the size and form would allow this piece to function just as well as a small flower vase...

A beautiful vessel by Kitamura Junko exhibiting the best of her handiwork. It is 16 cm (6-1/4 inches) diameter, 13.5 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. There is no box.
Kitamura Junko learned under the tutelage of Suzuki Osamu and Kondo Yutaka of the influential Sodeisha. Like Mashiko artist Shimaoka Tatsuzo, her work is influenced by Jomon pottery, however her approach is very different...

Closely resembling a historically important tea bowl made by one of the forebears of the art of tea and Raku pottery, Chojiro, this piece gives one a sense of the deep origins of tea culture.

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...

Wow, a jaw-dropping bowl in igneous black like some volcanic expulsion by Kim Hono enclosed in the original signed wooden box. So impressed was even the artist with this piece that he has drawn an image of the bowl up the side of the box and over onto the lid. It is 11.5 x 13 x 10 cm 4-1/2 x 5 x 4 inches) and in excellent condition...

Kohiki is simple elegance, one of the styles most befitting the humble confines of the tea room, and its ghostly white glows softly like the moon in the shadows. This sublime example by Tsujimura Shiro once again shows his mastery of the craft and expresses an inner confidence and yet unassuming nature of the artist himself, one who has mastered the tenets of the Way of Tea. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kohiki Chawan...

Shadows of flame exhume the granular qualities of the clay on this superb tea bowl by Mihara Ken enclosed in the original signed wooden box understatedly titled simply Wan. The unassuming form is simple and refined, a perfect compliment to the austere recesses of the tea room aesthetic.

Size, D 13.1 cm H 8.8 cm
Condition, Excellent
Mihara Ken was born in Shimane prefecture in 1958, and apprenticed under Funaki Kenji at the age of 23...

A sculpture in black glaze by Yoshitake Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sakuhin B and dating circa 1980. Very much in the vein of this important avant-garde organization, it has a great deal of presence compacted into a small space. A nearly identical work is published in the book: Sodeisha, 35th Anniversary (Sodeisha, Sanjugoshunen Kinenhan, 1983) which is titled Suikan (Inebriated). Interestingly, Suikan is also a homonym for water pipes...

A striking wide dish in crystal clear colors by celebrated female artist Tokuda Yasokichi IV enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sekirei Akari (Red Light). Th inclusion of red is quite unusual for this artist...

A white porcelain vessel by Sakurai Yasuko permeated with holes in a style typical of her work. It is 16 cm diameter, 8 cm tall and in excellent condition enclosed in a paper box. According to the Met: Sakurai Yasuko first studied ceramics in Kyoto, before becoming an artist in residence in Shigaraki, and then in Limoges, France. She makes perforated, unglazed, white porcelain forms that are studies in light and shadow. These forms are created around bundles of mold-cast porcelain tubes and th...

An earing clings to the “mimi” on this fabulous ash glazed vessel by one of our favorite hidden treasures, Tamura Roppo, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Koshu Iga Mimitsuki Hanaire. The traditional form is affixed with two “ears”, from one of which clings one tremulous drip of ash, seeming to slightly weigh down that side. Happenstance occurring at just the right place at just the right time during the firing process that it survived without falling or breaking off. I...

A spectacular work by Tsujimura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box featuring a dark burn down one side, as if water has been pouring from the rim for centuries over the same place. The rough clay studded with inclusions and Shiseki is everything we have come to expect from this potter. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 5 inches (12.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Tsujimura Shiro was born in Nara in 1947, and began his steps into the art world as an oil painter....

Done in a style reminiscent of Japanese Mingei art, this striking yet functional folk-craft piece is the creation of Chikuunsai Tanabe III. Made entirely of traditional materials, the red lacquer is quite eye-catching and is sure to liven up any setting.

As the name suggests, Chikuunsai (1940-2014) is from a line of woodworkers—“Chiku” in this case meaning bamboo. This family of generational artists currently stretches to the 4th generation—the 4th being known for his large...

An iconic representation of this artists work, a large hidasuki Tsubo of red clay marked with burnt straw by Isezaki Mitsuru enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Tsubo. It is 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) diameter, 10-1/2 inches (26.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Isezaki Mitsuru (b. 1934) was born to a family of potters, his father Yozan and brother Jun both very important in Bizen pottery. In 1998 Mitsuru was named a Prefectural Intangible Cultural Property for Okayama...

Golden Camellia blossom all bout theoutside of this lovely wan-gata Chawan by the famous female artist Ono Hakuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kinrande Chawan.  The pattern is created by applying gold foil to the surface before firing.  Here she has cut the gold foil into patterns of camellia blossoms, and applied them over red glaze to great effect. The design is both feminine and powerful. 
Size, D 12.6 cm ( 5.0 inches)  H 7.4  cm ( 3.0 inches) 
Conditi...