A traditional mimi-tsuki cylindrical vase by the artist who wrote the book on traditional firing, Furutani Michio, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is covered inside and out in natural molten ash glaze and dark charring where it was buried in the embers, the opposite side reveals the expressive nature of Shigaraki clay. It is 26.5 cm (10-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition...

This piece is covered natural ash glaze, made by Junri Hamada who is well known as an expert potter in Mino pottery area where many traditional potteries has been made from 15th century. Size: 6.3cm(D)/5.0cm(H) Accessary: wooden box signed by artist

Fired for days at over 1,400C degrees, this primordial-looking wonder of ancient potting technology displays a number of beautiful natural effects from the interaction of the clay, minerals, and ash from the unique style of kiln.

The creator of this work Michio Furutani (1946 - 2000) is regarded as one of the true greats of Shigaraki potting and is noted for being the first to revive the ancient art of anagama kiln firing in this region...

Sugimoto Sadamitsu (b. 1935) is one of the most important Shigaraki potters alive today and continues to create master works into his old age. Originally a resident of Tokyo, at the age of 33 he moved to Shigaraki and started creating high-quality tea-ware implements, most notably, fine tea bowls in the style of early Raku masters...

Sugimoto Sadamitsu (b. 1935) is one of the most important Shigaraki potters alive today and continues to create master works into his old age. Originally a resident of Tokyo, at the age of 33 he moved to Shigaraki and started creating high-quality tea-ware implements, most notably, fine tea bowls in the style of early Raku masters...

The artist who produced this piece, Wataru Motomura, prides himself in living a traditional life in the eastern hills of Kyoto—long known for its rich clay and idyllic pastoral lands. Though the form of this vessel appears innovative and modern, the techniques and materials used to produce it have been around for many hundreds of years...

A beautiful example of Shigaraki pottery—the result of techniques perfected over centuries by dedicated artisans residing in the provinces east of Kyoto. This piece, made by master potter Sugimoto Sadamitsu, achieves a kind of asymmetrical balance of both form and color, displaying classic Shigaraki markings of emerald green, red ochre, and pale ash.

Sugimoto (b. 1935) is one of the most important Shigaraki potters alive today and continues to create master works into his old age...

Like most Shigaraki-wares, this piece has a somewhat primal feeling to it, as though it belongs to a previous geological era in time. Rivulets of vitrified green, grey, and yellow ash stand against a background gradient of soft to intense ochres of the clay body. The intense firing process of this type of pottery for days in an anagama kiln results in a beautiful ashen glaze with a warm, soft, yet vibrant glow when set in the light...

Mountain tea bowls (yama-jawan) are commonly excavated from the hillsides of Japan and many date to the 12th century or earlier. They tend to be crude in construction but with a fascinating ruggedness that allows then to endure, often much better than contemporary ceramics, despite being buried in the earth for hundreds of years. Highly prized when found completely intact or with minor cracks, there is a sort of folklore and mystique that has built up around these objects...

Shizuo Ashikaga
Sparrow on Bamboo
Date: 1950s.
Size: Koban. Approximately 7.75 x 5.25 inches.
Bears the artist's seal.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Smudge in margin.

A lovely Shino tea bowl fashioned from coarse Mino clay and covered in a crackled feldspar glazing. The front and sides of the bowl are decorated with paintings of abstract foliage resembling Iris leaves and the base of the bowl is unglazed, displaying rough clay...

This depiction of the eternal “ensō” on a backdrop of pearly white feldspar signifies enlightenment, the eternal, the nothingness, and the freedom of the mind to envision and to create...

This depiction of the eternal “ensō” on a backdrop of pearly white feldspar signifies enlightenment, the eternal, the nothingness, and the freedom of the mind to envision and to create...

This impressive Shino summer tea bowl was crafted using red clay from the hills near Izumo Taisha (one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan)...

A large and powerful composition displaying beads of feldspar strung across a canvas of red ferrous clay. A perfect addition for tea practitioners in need of a good Shino piece or for collectors looking for a classic and exceptional example of this type of pottery.

As the name suggests to anyone familiar with Japanese pottery, Kato Toyohisa (b. 1962) hails from a long line of Mino potters...

A great example of a modern Shino tea bowl based on pieces being produced nearly 500 years ago in the kilns of Mino. This piece shows excellent texture to the glaze with a very active and diverse ceramic landscape. In addition, the use of a darker ferrous compound gives it a rather weighty and seasoned appearance when compared with the more commonly encountered red Shino glazes of the modern day...

Occasionally while browsing through the temple markets of Kyoto or perusing backstreets tea-ware shops, an attractive piece will catch my eye for no particular reason. When this happens, I typically buy it immediately without hesitation, trusting that I will be able to place it to a specific period or kiln given enough time and research...

Graceful, sensitive, and with a distinctively feminine aura—this subtle work of ceramic art has an air of quiet days spent in the garden or of spending an afternoon brightening up an interior space. Using a technique known as 灰釉 (kai-yu) Terai uses the natural ash of various hardwoods to achieve a subtle textured matte glow which is unique to each piece.

Yoko Terai (b. 1972) graduated from the Kyoto University of Art and later studied under Nobuo Nojima who—upon recognizing...