Catalog: Artists (161)

Made from ferrous rich Bizen clay covered in an ashen feldspar glaze, this non-conventional Shino tea bowl is a variety known as “Beni” or crimson red. Distinctively modern yet emanating a primal vitality, the form harkens back to the very origins of ceramic exploration in Japan. The influence of Momoyama potters and greats such as Koetsu can be seen in the dynamic edges of the clay body...

A veteran of Bizen pottery, Mori Tōgaku has been perfecting his style for close to seven decades now with most of his important work having been done in the last 35 years. Using a self-built large climbing kiln measuring 53 meters—one of the largest of its kind—he utilizes a number of interesting techniques including mixing different types of clay into one work to produce pieces like the mizusashi (fresh water jar) shown here...

First born son to Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun, Koichiro (b. 1974) has quickly made a name for himself as an independent artist. Not content to rely solely on family reputation, he has set off on his own path, making innovations in clay and also in the ideas and principles surrounding his craft...

Elegantly balanced on a slenderly proportioned foot, this piece by Bizen native Kondo Masahiko displays a surprising level of skill for a potter still in the process of making a name for himself. With swirling ash glaze and a dazzling ceramic landscape, this piece is perfect for tea practitioners and collectors alike.

Born in Okayama prefecture in 1971, Kondo fashions his Bizen pieces in a traditional wood-fired kiln in the township of Ushimado...

A beautiful example of modern Bizen-ware—with a thick feldspar glaze partially covering the clay body allowing the natural ash glaze underneath to show through in areas. This piece along with others by the same artist tend to push the bounds of what you usually see in Bizen pottery.

The craftsman who made this piece, Takahiro Ishii, was born in Tokyo, and, after studying ceramics for a number of years, he moved to Bizen to become a ceramics teacher and later opened his own kiln...

The potter who made this exquisite Oribe tea bowl came to be master of his craft in a rather unusual way. Born into a potting family and eventually taking over as the 6th generations head of the kiln. He carried on the family tradition while incorporating ancient potting techniques and methods from foreign lands...

When the founder of the Urasenke style of tea ceremony, Senso Soshitsu (1622 -1697) was invited to Kanazawa as the lord of the tea ceremony for the powerful Kaga lords in 1666, the first Chozaemon came with him and established Ohi-yaki ware in Kanazawa. Chozaemon had been the chief apprentice for the Raku family in Kyoto and took with him many of the principles and ideas associated with Raku-ware...

Imagine the vista of iconic Mount Fuji as you enjoy a cup of matcha from this very special tea bowl...

This piece was fired in the kilns of one of Kyoto’s most prolific Raku-yaki workshops by an artist known as Heian Shoraku. In 1905, the first generation Shoraku 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 Yada shrine where it remains today...

With a masterfully applied black Raku glaze and a noticeable aesthetic of austerity and stillness, this piece is what is refereed to in Japanese as an “utsushi” or what we might call in English a “tribute piece.” Such pieces are typically made by all Raku potters, regardless of the kiln and tradition, and seek to emulate famous works from the early masters over 400 years ago—in this case, a tea bowl created by the brother of the second Kichizaemon, Tanaka Somi, born sometim...

The term “tenmoku” (heavens eye) refers both to a shape of tea bowl popularized in the Song Dynasty dating back almost 1,000 years, and also to a style of glaze that these pieces are renowned for. In the case of tea bowls themselves, the troughs often have darker coloration with radiating colored rays and, depending on the style, often resemble the iris of a human eye...

The style of this vase, known in Japanese as karakane (“kara” meaning Chinese and “kane” meaning copper), has been carried on by Japanese craftsmen since its theorized introduction during China’s Tang Dynasty. Falling in and out of fashion over the centuries as Japan alternated between preferences for Chinese style tea-ware and more homegrown versions, today it remains a common fixture in many tea rooms...

Though this piece appears quite old and nicely worn by time, it is in fact a very recent work from Sekizanjin kiln. Using a special organic process to “ferment” powdered ore used in the clay, they then fire the hand molded pieces under extreme heat to produce bowls they call “Chibori.” The Chibori bowl featured here is inspired by works of Chojiro—forbearer of the Raku line of potters and collaborator with legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu...

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...

With a base of dazzling red ochre clay, a technique known as “san-giri,” pioneered by the progenitor of this generational potting family and now widely used among Bizen potters, is employed here to bring out stunning mustard yellows, mossy greens, charcoal blacks, along with a range of subtler hues.

The potter, Konishi Tōko II (1927 -2018) was second daughter to Konishi the first...

This exceptionally well-formed tea bowl displays highlights of flaxen and scarlet visible through a classic black glaze. Raku tea bowls such as this are made by hand, without the use of a potter's wheel...

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...

Endorsed by the recent Head Tea Master of Urasenke as an exceptional work, this black Raku tea bowl was granted the poetic name “Kokon” Ko, meaning “the distant past” and Kon meaning “the here and now.” This name carries with it the connotation that tradition and accumulated generational knowledge can, in a sense, connect us with the people, places, and situations of times gone by; helping us better understand our present day roles in the ongoing play of form and energy.

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