Antique Japanese reclining black bull, wonderfully sculpted in Ceramic. Painted low-fire ceramic in good condition. Very heavy and charming. Great life like detail. Meiji Period (c. late 1800's). Size: 11" high x 23" long x 11" deep.

Antique Japanese imari vase with a rounded middle and fluting mouth and foot. Two small grey and yellow fu dogs serve as handles. The body of the vase has bright yellow enamel background with scrolling vines, and images of fu dogs playing with each other. The bottom of the vase is marked in red. Meiji Period (1868 - 1912) Size: 12" height, 7" width

Rich rivulets of stunning green crystallize on the surface of this tokkuri sake-bottle by important Mino artist Hayashi Kotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The bottle is roughly 6 inches (15.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Kotaro was born in Gifu prefecture, and graduated the prefectural ceramic facility...

An old Nanban hanging flower vase, kakéhana, in its original inscribed box. The vase is in fine undamaged condition and has a good old patina. The inscription literally translates as “Nanban hanging flower vase”. The applied decoration is perhaps a depiction of a Buddhist rosary. 19th century.

Approximately 12.8 cm high...

A raw earthen bottle hand formed for sake and engraved with a poem by Otagaki Rengetsu. It is 5-1/4 inches (13.5 cm) tall and in fine condition. The poem reads:
Fuyubata no On the Daikon Leaves
Oone no kuki ni In a winter field
Shimo Sae Te Frost gleams
Asatode Samushi Going out in the morning I feel cold
Okazaki no sato Here in Okazaki village
Much has been written about the life and work of poet/artist Otagaki Rengetsu...

Flame shapes fan up on the sides of this trumpeting bottle by Funaki Kenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 6-1/2 x 7-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches (16.5 x 19 x 24 cm) and is in fine condition. Funaki Kenji (b. 1927) was born the son of potter Funaki Michitada (1900-1963) in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Michitada had been a follower of the Mingei movement closely associated with its founders Kanjiro, Shoji and Leach...

An eight sided Shino Yunomi Cup by Suzuki Osamu (Kura) enclosed in the original signed wooden box decorated with triangles in red. A striking work, it is 3 inches wide, the same height (7.5 cm) and is in excellent condition. Osamu was born in Gifu prefecture in 1934, and graduated the Tajimi Technical School ceramics division in 1953. That same year he was awarded at the 6th Dento Kogeiten Traditional Crafts Exhibition...

This eye-catching porcelain composition covered in red-glaze and highlighted with sensational gold-leaf inlay is an iconic design often employed by Ono Hakuko.

Ono Hakuko (1915 -1996) is an important figure in the world of Japanese ceramics and one of the only women in the field to gain wide acclaim and recognition for her work...

The light-grey glazed interior of this piece makes an inviting backdrop for a smooth cup of saké. The exterior by contrast is matte with a slightly coarse texture making it easy to hold in the hand. Overall it has a decidedly modern feel to it however the techniques used to produce this attractive guinomi go back many generations...

A small dish from the 1960s by Fujihira Shin enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 8 inches (20 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Fujihira Shin (b. 1922-2012) was born into the family of a ceramics dealer in Kyoto, raised among the pots, and attended the Art University, however, in his second year would lose four years of his life to battling illness. This life and death struggle would make him a strong character, coming forth from then on in his works...

Antique Japanese low-fire ceramic mask of Ebisu, one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese folklore. Ebisu, the god of fishing and good fortune, is often depicted with the god Daikoku. This mask wears his usual joyful expression and is perfect for wall mounting. Meiji Period 1868-1912. Size: 14" height, 13.5" width

This nikuchi, or seal paste box, was created by one of the very few Imperial Court Artists of late Meiji and bears an attractive and subtle design etched on the cover. Seal paste boxes are used to hold the red ink paste used for endorsing official documents and works of art by way of an in-kan (official seal)...

Thick feldspar glaze highlighted by reddish ore seeping from the iron-rich clay, this is a very attractive Shino vessel that may have originally been a yunomi but was later fitted with a silver globe and repurposed as an incense burner (koro). In Japan extending the useful life of a piece—by converting it to another use or perhaps by mending broken pieces (kintsugi)—is a common practice which demonstrates a deep consideration and respect for ceramic works of art...

This small vessel, similar in a shape to a tokkuri, is a fine example of Oni Shino (carbon trap and natural ash glazing) that Tsukigata is so well-known for. Coining the term in the mid-50’s after countless failed experiments—which ultimately culminated in the discovery of this unique style of pottery—“Oni” translates roughly to demon or ogre...

DESCRIPTION: This large, boldly decorated early 19th century Japanese Arita sometsuke (blue and white) porcelain dish in square form (“kaku-zara”) is hand painted in deep cobalt blue with a center floral design against thin parallel lines. This center ground is bordered by diaper designs around the raised rim with floral cartouches at each corner...

A set of five concentric back glazed sake-cups enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Yagi Akira. They vary in size from 2-1/2 inches to 4 inches diameter (6.5 to 10 cm) and in excellent condition. For a similar (admittedly larger) set see “Contemporary Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century “(2005) by Joe Earle.
This name is a must have in any collection of modern Japanese Pottery. Akira was born in Kyoto in 1955, son of avant garde Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) one of the fo...

Know more for his works of powdery-blue celadon, on occasion Sozan also produced fine white porcelains as well. This delicately-crafted porcelain kashibachi (sweets bowl) is one such example. Displaying a wonderful low-relief vine and leaf pattern on a backdrop of nearly eggshell thin ivory-white porcelain—this is a rare and interesting composition by Sozan I.

Suwa Sozan I (1852—1922) was born in an area of what is known today as Ishikawa prefecture. After a short stint in the m...

Fantastic execution of the Shino pottery style in the form of a bold and attractive Henko vase. The feldspar glazing and visually captivating red scorch marks serve as a backdrop for several attractive and well placed kiln effects—overall an exceptional piece by this artist.

Ando Hidetake was born the third generation of a Mino pottery family in Gifu prefecture in 1938. He began as an apprenticeship under Kato Tokuro in 1960. A testament to his skill, he was accepted for the first...