Beautifully encapsulating the Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi, this cast iron tea kettle has an elegance that far outshines more ornate versions of this ceremonial implement. Likely from Meiji, the craftsmanship is excellent, the overall proportions ideal, and the texture of the metal very pleasing...

Meticulously crafted from carefully woven strips of bamboo, this traditional “chabako” would typically contain all of the basic utensils for conducting tea ceremony. As the same name is commonly used to describe wood boxes used to store and transport tea leaves, the piece below could also be described as a “chakago” to avoid confusion—though the former descriptor is much more commonly used...

This extraordinary cha-ire (powdered tea container) displays an excellent glaze that appears to have only grown more intricate and rich with time. Contrasting against a reddish brown background are flows and pools of darker glaze along with lighter textured speckles...

This finely crafted Japanese yakkan (copper teapot) shows the kind of beautiful patina that can only be achieved with time and careful used and looks to date from the Meiji period of the late 1800s.

The brilliant rich auburn color of this type of metalwork is achieved by adding smoked straw during the firing process and often deepens in character over time...

A beautiful and very old Hagi tea bowl; showing signs of long use and appreciation. The gold repairs add to the overall composition and highlight the important role this piece played in someone’s tea practice. Though still functional to be used as a ceremonial implement, this would fit much better as a treasured display object.

In excellent condition this tea bowl is 5.1 inches in diameter at its widest point (13cm), and stands 3.1 inches tall (8cm)...

This lovely Hagi chawan rests firmly on a wari kodai or “split foot” that shows the iron-rich clay this antique piece is fashioned from. The milky glaze varies in consistency across the curves and contours of the bowl with areas tending towards pale ash, ivory, and faint lavender...

A large and ornate kiseru (tobacco pipe) dating from mid-to-late Edo. The metal fittings forming the ends of the pipe are engraved with detailed cherry blossoms and maple leaves being carried by the current of a stream. The bamboo tube connecting the fittings is in excellent condition and displays a soft warm luster. This piece is quite large as kiseru go—measuring 11.2 inches in length (28.5 cm)...

Dating from early-to-mid Edo the shape of this unique Karatsu piece is referred to as a “takadai-zara” in Japanese, or high-footed serving platter. Modeled on similar Korean pieces from the early Joseon Dynasty, the platter was made using coarse, unrefined clay with high iron oxide content. The clay which forms the bowl shows impurities, intentional pitting, and small stones peeking through the clay making for an interesting ceramic landscape...

Like many pottery traditions in Japan, Karatsu takes its name from the city where it originated. As early as the 15th century, Korean potters heavily influenced the development of this form—helping to endow it with the earthy, simple, and natural qualities it is so appreciated for. With crackled glazing and beautiful gold repairs of several types and from several generations, this antique tea bowl is quite attractive, a pleasure to use, and absolutely one of a kind...

A beautiful old Kyo-ware tea bowl slightly elongated on one end producing an interesting and unique effect. The collector who furnished the box labeled it as being by the legendary potter Ninsei (17th C.). Though the potter’s mark suggests this could be the case, there is no way to confirm for certain other than by its age and undeniably elegant craftsmanship...

Japanese Mugiwara pottery emerged in the Mino region of Japan during the Momoyama period in the late 16th century. It is renowned for its distinctive straw-rope patterns etched into or painted on its surfaces that typically contains hues of indigo, mustard, hazel, ochre, and sometimes greens...

Oribe is a visual style named after the late-16th-century tea master Furuta Oribe (1544-1615). Kuro Oribe pieces are the most common with their jet-black glazes and feldspar ornamentation tending towards the minimalistic, abstract; and, some would say, Zen-like aesthetic. While the piece shown here is not entirely typical of Oribe pieces, the black glaze, contrast window, and unmistakable kutsugata shape all point to this genre of Minō pottery...

Oribe is a visual style named after the late-16th-century tea master Furuta Oribe (1544-1615). Typically, black or green glazes are applied to the bodies of these works and light-colored windows are created using feldspar. These high-contrast areas then act as a canvas upon which abstract, minimalistic, and often naturalistic themes are painted in rather exaggerated fashion...

This generously proportioned chawan (13.5cm in diameter) shows nice age, especially around the kodai, and likely dates from early Edo (several hundred years old). The base is unglazed showing the molded clay, contrasting nicely with the jet black glaze which displays a slight purplish hue when held to the light. The soft sheen of the Raku glaze overlying rippled and shaved clay gives this bowl a distinct presence...

The shape of the this tea bowl is known as “tsutsu” in Japanese and is regarded as being especially attractive. Tsutsu bowls are used mainly in the depths of winter to keep in the heat and prevent the tea from cooling too quickly. Though most tsutsu bowls are defined by their smooth, curved edges and contoured clay bodies, this piece is distinct in having more defined edges and straight sides. Tea disciples of all stripes appreciate this type of bowl for its elegant lines and functional prop...

This antique Seto piece features a warm matte ash glaze with several patches of darker and lighter pigmentation. The molded clay shows striations that resemble textured wood grains—highlighted by a soft patina developed over many decades of use.

Seto is a pottery tradition established in the 12th century with the aim of reproducing fine Chinese porcelain and tenmoku-style chawan—which were hard to come by in Japan at the time. Later, during the Muromachi period, Seto potters es...

This lovely Shino tea bowl fashioned from coarse Mino clay is covered in feldspar glazing, has a classic ferrous abstract painting across the front, and shows nice age—most likely from early to middle Edo.

Shino-ware dates to the Momoyama period when potters were attempting to recreate white porcelain-wares that were being imported from China at the time. Originally they were made in a single-chamber anagama style kilns set into the hillsides. Later, with the advent of large-batc...

A JAPANESE ARITA PORCELAIN SQUARE DISH, EDO PERIOD.

An attractive Japanese Arita porcelain square dish with canted corners, decorated with an oversized sage lost in reverie by a lake. The unusual borders completely painted with figures in a landscape. Late 18th ~ early 19th century.

By repute once part of the Bigelow Collection and disposed by auction in New England a few years ago.

Approximately 15.5cm square. The dish is in perfect condition.

Please study the p...