A true masterpiece vase covered in the trademark sansai glazes of Ningenkokuho Tokuda Yasokichi III (Masahiko) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A superb example of the work of this Living National Treasure.

Designated Living National Treasure in 1997 for his supremacy in the use of Kutani glazes, Yasokichi (1933-2009), born Masahiko, has gone a step further than many National Treasures by broadening his spectrum with a new style of Kutani ware...

The distinctive and easily recognizable style of Bizen pieces, such as the one featured here, originated in Okayama (south-western Japan) and has a long history that is closely intertwined with that of tea culture. Bizen-ware is known for employing a natural-ash glazing technique that is unique to this type of pottery and which requires extremely long firing times (7-14 days) at very high temperatures. This means that constant attention is required to ensure good results...

The craftsman who fashioned this piece, the 9th Ohi Chozaimon (1901-1986), is the most widely recognized and most accomplished of the now 11 generations of Ohi potters. Born in Ishikawa Prefecture at the start of the 20th century, he took up the family craft and, at the age of 26, became the head potter. Raku tea bowls made by Ohi 9 are some of the finest you will encounter, comparing favorably to even tea bowls made by the main Raku lineage in Kyoto...

Nancee Meeker hand thrown vase

9 1/2" tall

Gray to black gunmetal glaze with spreading accents of green moss hues

Beautifully made and well balance

Lightened areas are reflections from photographic lighting

Signed Meeker on bottom

Excellent condition with no issues to note

Eiraku Zengoro XVI Sokuzen (1917-1998) Double Gourd Vase with excellent red glaze...

Charming fresh water container (Mizusashi) by Oshio Shōzan III 三代 大塩昭山 (b. 1935), an important potter working in Akahada ware that is produced in Nara Prefecture. Akahada potters are famous for tea ceremony wares. Piece is for late 1970s, stoneware with overglazed enamel, it is 14.6 x 14.4 cm. Potter’s seals on the bottom Akahadayama (赤膚山) and Shōzan (昭山)...

Ceramics decorated by Zen monks are seldom seen and this piece is no exception. Two red enamel characters are boldly brushed in red enamel conveying the strong bond between Zen and the tea ceremony. The bowl is inscribed and named Taste of Zen (Zenmi 禅味), and dates to the 1970s, when Seki Bokuō 関牧翁 (1903 – 1991) was well into his abbotship at Tenryū-ji, one of most important, and certainly most beautiful temples in Kyoto...

This important Zen tea bowl named “Phoenix Appears” (Hōōrai 鳳来) is a collaboration between the famous Kyoto potter Imai Masayuki 今井 政之 (1930-2023) and the equally well known Zen monk Matsunaga Gōzan 松長剛山 (b. 1943), Abbot of Kōtō-in, a subtemple of Daitoku-ji since 1971 and the 13th titular head of Hisada-ryu Arisugawa-kei school of tea. The chawan was made in the early 1970s, shortly after he ascended to abbotship of Kōtō-in...

The second Living National Treasure of Mashiko. The first was his teacher Shōji Hamada.

A ash-glazed stoneware box and cover with an intaglio design of grasses filled with white slip. Shimaoka’s seal within the foot-rim.

Approximately 11.5 cm high, 10.3 diameter...

A massive (almost 2 kg) Shigaraki Vase by famous Rakusai Takahashi III, enclosed in its originally signed wood box.

The tsubo displays the landscape of fire color (hi-iro), scorch (koge) and burst rocks (ishihaze).

Rakusai (1900 - 1976) was considered as one of the true masters of Shigaraki and Iga-yaki, along with Naokata and later Michio...

Jug for holding fresh water for the tea ceremony, called mizusashi. Wheel thrown, thin stoneware of slightly irregular beaker shape (slightly bulging belly towards the bottom and straight sides going up). The mouth is slightly oval. Black-brown iridescent glaze. Custom made black lacquered fitted wooden cover. Seto ware, or black Oribe...

Although reports vary, it is generally thought that Zeze-yaki had its heyday in the late Momoyama to early Edo period under the influence and patronage of legendary artists/ men of tea, Honami Koetsu and Kobori Enshu. It was also counted among the seven best kilns selected by Enshu Kobori (1579-1647), a tea master and military commander of that era. In the mid-1600s the tradition died out for a time after the destruction of the kiln by fire...

A true Mashiko Chawan by greatest Shoji Hamada with a real beautiful Ameyu glaze, double boxed and originally signed and sealed by the artist.

This treasure was part of the exhibition "The artists who searched for Mingei".

Hamada Shoji (1894-1978) was one of the leading potters of the Japanese Mingei (Folk Craft) movement...

Ao glazed wide footed teabowl, chawan form, with a Shono pattern around the bowl

Stoneware, slip and glazes

4.75" X 4"

Functional, decorative and food safe

Finest Kyo-yaki tea bowl with a hand painted golden lobster design by famous Japanese artist Sugita Shohei the 4th. It is in mint condition and comes with originally signed and sealed wooden box.

Sugita Shohei was born 1942 as the 4th generation of the Sugita family, which inherited the Seikanji kiln established by the 1st generation Kikujiro in the early Meiji era with the approval of the Seikanji family of former counts.

Studied ceramics under the 3rd generation Sugita ...

Large, relatively tall chawan, as used in the tea ceremony. Light brown coarse stoneware covered with a celadon colored translucent glaze with brown speckles and with a purple and blue-green splash on the front. Unsigned. Japan, Aizu, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Showa era, circa 1973.
Comes with the original fitted wooden tomobako, inscribed on the outside … chawan; on the inside signed ‘made by Ryoichi, 7th generation of the Munakata kiln’ and with the seal Munakata-gama (Munakata k...

Small compact vase of irregular shape on a wide foot. Brown clay with white mineral and tiny pebble inclusions typical for Shigaraki and Iga ware, with green and white ash glaze over cross hatched pattern on the shoulder.
A small metal loop on the shoulder in the back to hang the vase from a beam in the tokonoma.

Bottom unglazed. Impressed seal of artist: Kozan.
Japan, Iga ware, Showa/Heisei, circa 1970s-1980s.

H 3-3/4 in., W 4-3/4 in.

Mint condition

Morisato Kozan (b....

A tea bowl with stunning glaze by the legendary Miyashita Zenji 宮下善爾 (1939-2012), one of the greatest contemporary Kyoto potters. This is an early work, when he focused on celadon-like glazes. At that time he was studying ancient Chinese pieces, and was influenced by his father who excelled in celadon. His tea bowls are not common, and purple ones are quite rare. Piece is simply titled Tea Bowl (Chawan 茶碗), it is glazed stoneware, from Shōwa Period, late 1970. Piece is 6.9 x 13.8 ...