Fine Japanese art and tea implements
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1700 item #1489859 (stock #TRC240304)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
Price on Request


Over the years we have taken a special interest in Raku pottery, especially in pieces made by the original Raku family (16 generations) and by a branch kiln known as Tamamizu—started by the illegitimate son of the potter Ichinyū, whose work we see here. Approximately 350 years old, this piece displays a beautiful red glaze and has a shape known as “tsutsu” with high walls and a slender form making it ideal for keeping in heat during the cold winter months. Antique gold repairs...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1700 item #1445238 (stock #TRC231019)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$25,000.00


Over the years we have taken a special interest in Raku-ware and especially in works produced by the Tamamizu kiln, such as the 300+ year old ceremonial tea bowl seen here. The first in this line of potters was Yahē (1662 - 1722), an illegitimate son of Kichizaemon Ichinyu (1615 - 1768) who studied under his father and then left to open his own kiln in the village of Tamamizu (known today as Ide-cho). Though he is the first potter of this branch, he is sometimes referred to as Tamam...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Korean : Ceramics : Pre 1492 item #1479251 (stock #TRC230609)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$15,000.00


Several years ago we were invited by our very talented kintsugi craftsman to what is known as a “kura-ake” or storehouse opening. Many reading this may be familiar with the traditional storehouses in Japan (kura) with their thick plaster walls used to store valuable items—sometimes for hundreds of years—safe from humid air, insects, and the like. On occession, after the passing of a parent or relative, these storehouses are opened up and the art pieces and valuables inside ar...
All Items : Vintage Arts : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1960 item #1426915 (stock #TRC230312)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$12,500.00
Conceived by 20th century master ceramicist Kawai Kanjiro—here an abstract depiction of flowers is used to adorn an exquisite “henko” shaped vase. The glaze used is known as “tetsu-yu” for its use of iron compounds to achieve this distinctive look. Though many pieces by Kanjiro remain today, this exact combination of style, shape, and glazing is uncommon, making this a must-have work for serious collectors. Interestingly, though it may likely not have been intentional, the abstract sym...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1837 VR item #1456800 (stock #TRC230315)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$10,000.00
Born the second son of Ryônyû, the 10th Raku Kichizaemon Tannyû took over the family kiln in 1811 at the age of 16 and served until his retirement and subsequent handing on of the title of Kichizaemon to his son-in-law Keinyû some 34 years later. Retaining many of the unique stylistic innovations of his father including his clay trimming technique, Tannyû went on to establish several new family kilns and to produce wares for both 10th and 11th Tokugawa Lords. The piece seen here is a classi...
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Sculptural : Contemporary item #1433725 (stock #TRC230918)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$7,500.00
From a well-known series entitled “Chōtō” (Listening to the Waves) this large contoured vase features a sandy glaze that the sculptor claims is an expression of the features of the landscape where he grew up.

Born in the port city of Shimoda, Sakiyama studied art in Osaka and then later went on to open his own kiln that he named “Hidaka” (High Sun). Appearing to have a natural gift for form and proportion, his pieces soon attracted the attention of galleries and collectors...
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Sculptural : Contemporary item #1463686 (stock #TRC230910)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$7,500.00
From a well-known series entitled “Chōtō” (Listening to the Waves) this large contoured vase features a sandy glaze that the sculptor claims is an expression of the features of the landscape where he grew up. The Chōtō series that launched his career proved to be wildly popular and today a number of pieces are held by museums around the world including: Brooklyn Museum; Hyôgo Museum of Ceramics; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Musée National de Céramique, Sè...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1700 item #1489858 (stock #TRC240307)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$5,500.00


Appearing to be from a 2006 excavation site in Tokyo known to be a former residence of the Owari Tokugawa clan—the most senior contingent of the Tokugawa clan that united Japan under one rule—this lovely Mishima tea bowl is one of just two I have seen appear on the Japanese art market over the years. The previous bowl also listed on our site had a large portion reconstructed with a gold repair. This piece meanwhile is entirely intact and even has its original box. Details about t...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1900 item #1483678 (stock #TRC240211)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$5,000.00


The poem etched on the side of this exceptional piece reads: "As a pastime ― bringing clumsy, fragile things to sell ― at Uruma Market ― how lonely!"  A very significant poem as it conveys a bit of irony; for the Edo period nun who inscribed this poem would go on to create a legacy of art, beauty, and philosophy that endures even today. The poem also suggests that this is one of her earlier works that would have been produced before she became renowned throughout Japan for her...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Lacquer : Pre 1900 item #1489854 (stock #TRC240309)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$5,000.00


Japanese Jubako, traditional stacked lacquerware food boxes, represent not only culinary refinement but also an important aspect of Japanese food culture. These elegantly tiered containers, often adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, are integral to the presentation of special occasion meals such as New Year’s celebrations and formal picnics. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Jubako boxes like the one featured here showcase the artistry of Japanese lacquerwa...
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Jars : Pre 2000 item #1421757 (stock #TRC210923)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$4,750.00
A truly unique work of Shino pottery developed among the company of some of Japan’s most respected and influential potters of the last century. Defying conventions of form and genre, this exceptional mizusashi looks like it could have emerged from the ground fully formed, the result of geological processes lasting millennia. The creator of this fine work is none other than Tsuboshima Dohei, a true master of the ceramic arts.

Born in 1929, at the age of 17 Tsuboshima took an appre...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Paintings : Pre 1837 VR item #1473400 (stock #TRC230926)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$4,750.00


Here we have a beautiful scroll with a mounted letter penned by famed Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828) who is known as one of the 4 great haiku poets of Japan along with the likes of Bashō, Buson, and Shiki. As one might expect, Kobayashi’s life was one of turbulence punctuated by several tragedies including the death of his mother at an early age and a lengthy legal battle with his step-mother over the family inheritance after the death of his father. Through it all Kobay...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1700 item #1410002 (stock #TRC230917)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$4,500.00
Oribe is a visual style named after the late-16th-century tea master Furuta Oribe (1544-1615). Typically, black or green glazes are applied to the bodies of these works and light-colored windows are created using feldspar. These high-contrast areas then act as a canvas upon which abstract, minimalistic, and often naturalistic themes are painted.

This piece is quite unique for its brown color which may have been produced using a copper glaze under very specific conditions. Typical o...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Paintings : Pre 1837 VR item #1478094 (stock #TRC231121)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$4,500.00


This beautiful painting from late Edo portrays Mount Fuji as a sublime centerpiece, overlooking a serene landscape below. A lush pine forest embraces the foot of the sacred mountain, its deep greens contrasting against the pristine snow-capped peak. A tranquil lake reflects the ethereal beauty of the surroundings, mirroring the image of Fuji and the towering pines. The composition captures the harmonious coexistence of nature's grandeur, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the ...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Paintings : Pre 1900 item #1484210 (stock #TRC240122)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$4,500.00


The poem accompanying the artwork on this antique scroll reads: Fishing little trout—Precious drops of dew glisten—Flowing with the blossoms—The mountains and rivers of spring ( Rengetsu, age 78 ). A rather later and mature work by Rengetsu, this piece was created right as Edo ended and Meiji began, marking a major turning point in Japanese history and culture.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was born into a Samurai family but soon after adopted by the Ōtagaki fam...
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1485865 (stock #TRC231105)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$4,250.00


When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Sen-So Soshitsu (1622 -1697) was invited to Kanazawa as the master of tea ceremony for the powerful Kaga lords in 1666, the first Chōzaemon came with him and established Ōhi-yaki in Kanazawa. Chōzaemon had been the chief apprentice to the Raku family in Kyoto and took with him many of the principles and ideas associated with Raku-ware. Since those auspicious beginnings, Ōhi-ware has held a high place in the world of tea cere...
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Tea Articles : Pre 1700 item #1473641 (stock #TRC230207)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$3,750.00


At various times over the long history of tea practice in Japan, Korean-ware has come into high fashion and ships full of the finest ceramics from the neighboring country were brought to its shores. Such pieces have long been favored by learned cha-jin (tea people); and, older pieces such as this are quite prized today as relatively few from this era have survived in good condition. While it is possible this piece is of Japanese origin, its apparent age would make it more likely to h...
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Vases : Pre 2000 item #1439972 (stock #TRC230311)
Kyoto Ceramics and Fine Art
$3,500.00
Master of a very difficult technique from the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) known in Japanese as Neriage, the potter who created this elegant vase uses extreme precision to combine sheets of differing types of clay, culminating in a unique visual effect. While many of his pieces are ringed with swirls of colors, this one is more modern and subdued. With quite a lot of character, this lovely vase will draw attention without being overpowering.

Born in Nagano, Kosei Matsui (1927-20...