A deep Choho-zara rectangular dish decorated with morning glories in dark rust and red over yellow with a black rim, a striking combination by Kyoto female artist Takagi Hoko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Created from a heavy slab, the sides were raised and carved with wave patterns covered in white with a raw base chiseled out in long horizontal strokes...

Five Sake Cups by the ;legendary Okabe Mineo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seto-Te Hai. The cups hav a very intimate feel, tiny, just enough room for a shot, each in a different style of Mino ware: Shino, E- Shino, Ki-Seto, Nezumi Shino, and Ao-Oribe. Each cup is 4.5 cm (1-3/4 inches) diameter and all are in excellent condition. It even includes the artists biography from the time, still early in his career, likely 1950s...

Reminiscent of the Rolling Stones album cover, a wild sculpture by important contemporary sculptor Hayami Shiro. The bean shaped object is 15 cm (6 inches) diameter, 32 cm (12-1/2 inches) long and in excellent condition. It is signed on the base and appears to be dated 1999. Typical of this artist, it comes in a cardboard box
Hayami Shiro (b. 1927) was born in Kagawa Prefecture in 1927, and graduated the Tokushima Industrial University in 1949...

A striking black and orange striped vase in simplified ovoid form by Mukunoki Eizo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kokusai Tsubo. This was purchased at a Mitsukoshi Exhibition. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Mukunoki Eizo Born in Shimane, and graduated the prefectural ceramics research facility before he apprenticed under Kawai Kanjiro in 1958. He would stay with Kanjiro until the masters death in 1966...

A sculptural Green form by Yamazaki Akira (Yamazaki Koyo II, b. 1927), one of several enigmatic works we have acquired by this artist dating from the 1970s to early 80s. With the right lighting we can see a pattern of large black spots under the glaze on the bottom half of the body reminding me of the flintstones. The vase is 17 x 7-1/2 x 10 inches (43 x 19 x 25 cm) tall and in fine condition, signed on the base Akira. There is no box...

An interesting modern, abstract koro. The compressed sphere with elliptical, off centered opening. A warm, brown temmoku glaze with darker brown glaze dripping from the top and stopping in controlled fashion above a well - continuing to form the unglazed foot in ogee fashion. An artist seal (three or four stylized Kanji characters within an oval) is impressed into the concave base near the foot rim. Very good condition. Some burnt on kiln residue on the foot goes to 'wabi'...

A beautifully shaped green vessel by Miyashita Zenju enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It stands 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall, 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) diameter and is in fine condition.
Zenju (1901-1968) studied pottery in Japan, Korea and China, and is held in the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art as well as the Kyoto National Museum. Work by the artist was exhibited pre-war at the Bunten and Nitten National Exhibitions as well as the 1939 and 1940 World Exposition...

The glaze on this sculpted form by The Bear of Echizen Kumano Kuroemon (also Kurouemon) is covered in the most fantastic crustations of glaze. Thick white over scarred red over shatterd black on an unconventional shape the artist has titled marukawara (round tile). It has Tomo everything, Artists history, wrapping cloth, with his ubiquitous calligraphy all over the signed box. The piece is 29 x 17 x 8 cm (11-1/2 x 6-1/2 x 3 inches) and is in perfect condition...

This piece is almost identical to the work submitted by the artist to the 7th Nihon Dento Kogei Ten in 1983 (featured as item number 116 in the catalog for that year) and indeed, shares the title Hi-iro In-mon Tsubo (Flame-Colored Stamp-Patterned Tsubo). It measures 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) diameter, 29.5 cm (12 inches) tall and is in excellent condition.
Kanzaki Muneaki (b 1949) is the fourth generation head of the traditional Mokusen Kiln in Koga, Shigaraki...

A very unusual modern Japanese pottery vase. Exaggerated chatter decoration spiraling from the foot to the shoulder, the tacky clay lifted to a very coarse texture before firing. The neck to rim, also spiraling up the vase, finished smoothly. Apparently in the tradition of the stoneware tile work kilns of Bizen and Tokoname. Studio artist marks in impressed cartouches on the foot. Excellent condition. Height, 8 inches.

Yuteki black slips down over the pourous, crackled white of this bold work by Taniguchi Ryozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box...

An interesting modern water dropper (suiteki ) for ink painting of sculptured form with a rough Bizen feel to it. The maker name Shozo impressed on the bottom and inscribed tomobako storage box. Water droppers are part of a scholar’s painting tools. Size: H 7 x 8 x 8 cm circa. Perfect condition. -------Saito Shozo Born 1952 in Ashio, Tochigi Prefecture, Kanto region. He studied ceramics at the Prefectural Ceramics Center of Mashiko, He built his own kiln in Ashio Town.

A fabulous example exploring the various traits of traditional Shigaraki pottery with a thick swath of glaze covering one side, telltale feldspathic inclusions bursting from the raw clay opposite. This is a classic example of 16th century Shigaraki pottery. It is 29 x 31 x 35 cm (11-1/2 x 12 x 14 inches) and in overall excellent condition. The history of Shigaraki traces its origins to around the 12th century with the discovery of exceptional clay deposits rich in iron and other minerals which ...

What a pleasure it would be to drink from this haunting 17th century (Momoyama to early Edo) Karatsu Guinomi Sake cup with gold lacquer repairs. It is 2-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) dimeter, 1-3/4 inches (4.5 cm) tall. There are 2 tiny gold repairs gleaming softly on the rim like a yellow moon peering through clouds on a dark night. .

A bizarre pottery mass of two tea bowls and a stand fused together after collapsing in the kiln some four hundred years ago. It is 17 x 13 x 11 cm (6-1/2 x 5 x 4-1/2 inches). There is something to be said here about best laid plans. All the potters craft and experience and yet nature intervenes, creating this vitrified sculpture for later generations to contemplate.

Momoyama period (1568-1600) Ko Karatsu Sake Cup with beautiful greenish glaze.
Shallow body with reddish unglazed base typical for Momoyama period.
Painted with iron pigment at the mouth on one side. It was more likely unearthed and repaired long time ago.

Size
Height 3.5cm
Width 13cm
Weight 175g

Condtion
Repaired with kintsugi

Karatsu ware, also known as "Karatsu-yaki" in Japanese, is a traditional style of pottery that originated...

Very rare Momoyama period (1568-1600) Ko Karatsu sake cup formerly in the collection of Fujio Koyama (1900-1975).

Shallow body with uneven rim typical for Momoyama period. There are skillfully made gold kintsugi repairs over the edge.

The old wooden custom-made Magewappa box has a label which says that the cup was in the collection of Fujio Koyama and dated as Momoyama period.

Koyama Fujio was a scholar of Japanese pottery and a potter as well. He is well known ...

A lightning shaped Narumi-Oribe Mukozuke dish decorated with geometrics and drying persimmons enclosed in a fine custom kiri-wood box titled “E-Oribe Mukozuke” and annotated “Mino Ko-gama” by Living National Treasure Kato Takuo, who was well known for his research into old kilns and firing techniques. One of the best preserved pieces I have seen in a long time dating from the Momoyama to early Edo period.; it originally had three looping feet which have been lost. The dish is 5 x 4-1/4 ...