Remnants of yellow glaze covers this Heishi (Heiji) bottle form from the Owari-Seto area engraved clearly about the neck with three lines. A quintessential Kamakura pot. There is much degradation to the glaze typical of Seto which has withstood a millennium of earthquake, fire, war and abuse. That anything survives so long in Japan is miraculous. It is 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) tall, 6-1/2 inches (16.5 cm) diameter and comes wrapped in old cloth in an old wooden box.

A menagerie of 12 comic creatures grin back at us as we pour another cup of sake from this Tokkuri decorated by world renowned woodblock artist and painter Clifton Karhu enclosed in the original wooden box also decorated on all facets with the same humorous creatures as well as a self portrait on the lid captioned EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY. It is 17.5 cm (7 inches) tall and in excellent condition...

Like a fossilized ammonite excavated from some dry desert pit, dry green glass leaves off to arid cracked earth on this swirling vessel by Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is a powerful work with sensational textures. 26 cm (10 inches) diameter, rising from 7 to 11 cm (3 to 4-1/2 inches) high at the shoulder. Due to the convoluted shape and extreme temperatures there are stress fractures born from the firing process...

A lovely hand formed bowl in the shape of an inverted mushroom with brush strokes (Kushi-me) defining the gills and the bulbous stipe laying like a handle to one side. A speckled yellow glaze (typical of Maiko) covers the sandy clay, with a drape of green and white seeping like milk from one side. It is roughly 21 cm (8 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, stamped on the base Mahiko (In traditional writing the character for Hi is interchangeable with the character for I as is Fu and U)...

Japanese set of 10 blue and white sobachoko or soba cups. With cobalt blue underglaze floral motifs and ocean landscapes, double ring below the inner rim, and a floral medallion in the center of the well with single ring. The foot is slightly recessed and left unglazed except for the center.

17th/18th century Edo period (1603-1868)

Dimensions: 3" W x 2 1/4" H

Splendid and absolutely rare double vase of old Karatsu-yaki. It has a vivid Chosen-Karatsu glaze, and the grandiose embellishment of color creates a sublime sense of tension between the dark glazed and color infusion.

This very decorative vase was made around the mid 19th century (late Edo Period).

Very good antique condition with only a light crack of glaze on the back of the white top, which enforces the all over wabi-sabi look...

Height approximately 34 cm. A crack at the body.

This is a great example Meiji Era satsuma. It is probably my favorite piece from Shizan. The colors are rich and the detail is fantastic. It stands 4 3/4 inches tall. This Ewer is in nearly perfect condition.

An impressive large shallow dish of foliate form decorated with a pair of auspicious Hoo birds with Kiri (Pawlonia) painted principally in underglaze blue which trail over the rim on to the reverse of the dish; an “over the wall pattern”...

A large pair of decorative vases painted with a pattern of stylised peonies in underglaze blue and gilt set against an iron red ground. The vases are of compressed mallet shaped form with wasted body and flared mouth, a form used at the Fukugawa factory from the late 19th century onwards. Probably early 20th century in date. The vases weigh respectively 2.152kg and 2.016kg and stand 29cmand 28.7cm high...

OKAME HYOTTOKO

Humorous earthenware bell with 2-face of *'Okame' and *'Hyottoko' as a Japanese folk toy. Showa period, 20th century. approx...

Finely painted Satsuma chatelaine with a silver backing and chain. The porcelain disks are tapered in size with the largest being iris, followed by a peacock, then butterflies, and finally a coiled dragon. The images are surrounded with cobalt blue and gold bands. This chatelaine could easily be made into a necklace. Measures 5.25" long with the largest tile a little under 1 inch diameter and the smallest being 1/2" diameter. Dates circa 1900.

A set of two Japanese porcelain cups and saucers with fine decoration in the Imari palette, underglaze blue, iron red and abundantly gold. Cups with a blossom mark. Condition: fine, saucers with kiln grit residue. Dimension: cup: c. 7.1 diameter, 4.6 cm high, saucer: c. 12.2 cm diameter, 2.3 cm high.

A rare pair of Japanese double gourd shaped porcelain vases, decorated with a ho-o bird flying over "prunus mume" in overglaze blue, green, yellow, aubergine, iron red and gold. Standing on a broad footrim, the rim with "kuchibeni". Condition: fine, only one vase with a short hairline ending in a tiny rim frit on the rear side (please see photo no. 12). Dimension: 19.3 cm high.

A pair of large Japanese porcelain dishes, beautifully decorated in five colors: underglaze blue, overglaze black, -green, -aubergine, iron red and gold. Showing an asymetrical design of a courtesan with her servant under a cherry tree, the right side with flowers. The back with auspicious emblems, the base with spur marks and an underglaze blue apocryphal "Ming Jiajing" mark. Provenance: Swiss private collection. Dimension: diameter 27.5cm, 3.5 cm high...

A small Kutani porcelain pitcher beautifully painted in Mokubei style with two cartouches containing a mountainous landscape and a group of rakan among karakusa pattern. Base signed Kutani. Condition: little wear to enamels and gold, spout with a short firing crack (3 mm please see photo no. 9). Dimension: 9.5 cm high.

A substantial large Japanese Imari covered bowl with a tear drop finial decorated principally in underglaze blue with a Chrysanthemum vine arabesque overlaid with poem card, shikishi, shaped reserves of peach and rectangular form. The peach shaped reserves containing leaping Karashishi and rock Peonies and the rectangular shaped reserves a red ground with stylised Chrysanthemums. These rather striking bolder designs, which reflect Japanese contemporary taste, date to the period 1720-50...

Yoshitaka Hasu was born in 1949 in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. After earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from National College of Technology and working for several years in development of telecommunication, he chose instead to pursue a career in ceramics. In 1975, he started an apprenticeship with ceramist Shiro Banura (1941-2001) in Iga...