A beautiful and elegant work by important female artist Tokumaru Kyoko comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakuji Ryuhimon Chawan (White Dragon-skin) and dating to Reiwa 3 nen (2021).
Her spiky lances and unfurling fronds forming are fantastical. The artist begins with slabs of clay and then constructs them to create work rooted in existential explorations. In this regard, Tokumaru notes that her spatial expressions allow her to travel deep inside herself...

Tarnished beaded silver is draped in gold over which runs a deep forest green on this apple shaped chawan by innovative artist Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A thick gold tinged bead dangles from one side, and bubbly dark glaze pools within. It is 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches9 diameter and in excellent condition. He really takes things to the extreme, challenging and yet incorporating something of the idea of Wabi into his outlandish works...

Silver ray-skin texture covers this fabulous Katakuchi sake pot by Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. OMG a chilled Daiginjo served with this would have to taste like a million bucks! Like a footed softball, it is 12 cm (4-3/4 inches) diameter, ever so slightly shorter although it appears to be taller than it is wide.
One of my favorite artists, the innovative Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973...

Mixed stoneware clay, unique curved lines, movement, form and warm textures of nature are a clear influence of Izumita Yukiya works. It is an excellent example of this artist, comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sekisoh (layers) .
Tokkuri and Guinomi available too.(On Reserved)
Size, D 38.6 cm H 27.2 cm
Condition, Excellent
Yukiya was born in 1966 in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture . In 1995 opened is own workshop...

The most unique work I have ever seen from innovative artist Ito Motohiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nunome Tsubaki-mon Kabin (Cloth Textured Vase with Camellia Design). Sensual sans eroticism, it is a frank and appreciative look at the beauty of the feminine form. This is from my personal collection, and I am torn with the idea of parting with it...

A swollen sail shape in graduations of color by Miyashita Zenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaze no Deban (Cue the Wind, or Wind in the Sails, if you like). It is 20 x 21 x 28 cm (8x 8-1/2 x 11 inches) and in excellent condition. It retains the original Shifuku and Shiori.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under Kiyomizu Kyubei and Kusube Yaichi...

Born in Okayama in 1914, Rokuro Nakamura is one of the greatest Bizen potters of modern times. He studied and made his first pottery together with LNT Toyo Kaneshige establishing his own Rokuro kiln in 1961. He has numerous awards including the Order of the Rising Sun, Green Paulownia Medal and Okayama Nichinichi Award...

Here we have the maverick of Bizen showing off his skills again with a superb chawan in sandy white clay by Kakurezaki Ryuichi enclosed in the original wooden box and comes complete with a catalog from his show last year...

Impressive press moulded Kaki glaze bottle with Nukie decoration made by Hamada Shinsaku around 1990-1991.

Born in 1929 as second son of Hamada Shoji, Hamada Shinsaku continued the family tradition of the world recognized Mashiko pottery.
He worked and traveled closely with his father and took over the famous kiln in Mashiko in 1978. Shinsaku Hamada pottery is exhibited in numerous museums around the world...

A complete set of the twelve animals of the zodiac by Miyashita Zenji, each enclosed in the original signed wooden box retaining the original Shifuku and Shiori. Sizes vary from 8 up to 16 cm (3 to 6 inches) and all are in excellent condition.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under Kiyomizu Kyubei and Kusube Yaichi...

A seminal work by Karatsu Legend Maruta Munehiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Karatsu Kuro Oribe Chawan and named inside Shigenari. (Furuta Shiginari later Oribe was famous tea Master). All is deeply coated in thick burnt ash with flashes of iron , cream and olive supplanting one side...

A perfect example that captures both of those two important artist mastery of celadon glazing and they innovative symmetry of flowing lines and fluted points.  The silhouette is ethereal, harkening back to the clean elegant lines of Song pottery and the pirouetting lines of Alphonse Mucha and Art-nouveau.  The glaze lays perfectly mirror like on the body, like a green ocean without a breath of wind. 
Size,(Chaire) D 8.6 cm   H 5.2  cm  ( SOLD )
Size,(Koro) D 9.9 cm   H 13...

An expressive form covered in thick emerald glaze by Yamaguchi Makoto enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oribe Kaki and date to 2020. It has a very organic feel, both from the texture and the cutted sides with various thicknesses of green glass, like water running over a stone surface.
Size, D 37.4 cm H 25.2 cm
Condition, Excellent
A rising star in the pottery world, Yamaguchi Makoto was born in Seto, Aichi prefecture in 1978. In 2000 he was apprenticed to H...

Exhibited (in a gallery show) this Ko-Iga chawan was made by veteran potter, Kojima Kenji. This bowl is broad and deftly manipulated to create a rather nice form with the addition of a stamped device toward the bottom of the reverse of the piece. The face of the chawan has a nice build up of ash creating a blue-grey surface that then runs to ash tendrils embracing the sides and terminating at the rear in a variety of large drips. The rear is also decorated by three shell scar impressions from...

Here is a rare work reflecting the shape and character of this famous artist but in Bizen clay, Shigaraki yes, Iga yes, Shino and Kohiki yes, Bizen vase first time for me. A divine vase by Tsujimura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Hanaire. The shape is organic, with warm, rich coloration. A exemplary piece for exploring and appreciating the various kiln effects of Bizen clay and ash firing.
Size, D 14.6 cm H 26.1 cm
Condition, Excellent

A very unusual domed box shaped vase by Morino Taimei decorated with green dots and purple numbers on a rich textured blue enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iro-e Tabimakura (Colorful Travel Pillow). It is 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) square, 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall excluding the handles, and is in excellent condition, as can be seen there is a water stain in the upper right corner of the box lid.
Morino Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten N...

Marbled clay in lively vivid colors blends on this large jar by Matsui Koyo, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Mukubai-yu Neriage Hatsuzomon Tsubo. The textures is smooth and shining creating a pleasurable experience for both the eyes and the hands.
Size, D 31.2 cm H 28.1 cm
Condition, Excellent
Matsui was born in 1962 son of LNT Matsui Kosei. Although of course growing up surrounded in pottery, he began apprenticing in earnest under his father in ...

Sadamitsu Sugimoto, a great master of the ceramic art scene in Japan, was led by Tachibana Daiki the great Zen teacher and has been producing a lot of masterpieces through over 40 years .He has been studying the world of “wabi, sabi, and yugen” as his life's theme. This piece was made as "manaitasara" to be used at Japanese cuisine or tea ceremony. His shigaraki(stoneware) pieces are made by archaic way in old style kiln "anagama" burning red pine wood, so those ashes are turned to natura...

Viscous charred feldspar clouded with stormy color adorns this amazing work by Kumano Kuroemon enclosed in the original highly decorated signed wooden box titled Kuma Shino Mizusashi. This has the wow factor in truckloads! A quintessential piece by this artist that his work will remain influential long past the coming generations. Size, D 22.1 cm H 21.2 cm
Condition, Excellent
A ceramic madman, oil painter and recluse, Kuroemon is as eccentric as his pottery predicts....

This is everything we could hope for in a bowl by this esteemed artist, Kumano Kuroemon enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuma Shino Chawan. Like the potter himself, this bowl is large and stable, seemingly welded to the floor by its own weight and presence. On the side of the box is written in a single bold brush stroke a Zen circle.
Size, D 14.2 cm H 9.8 cm
Condition, Excellent
A ceramic madman, oil painter and recluse, Kuroemon is as eccentric ...

Being based in Kyoto we occasionally come across fine Chinese and Korean tea-ware to mix in with our Japanese offerings. Here we have an example of a ceremonial tea bowl by a Korean potter Ji Sun Tak who dedicated his life to reviving ancient techniques of the past by excavating and documentation of a number of historic kiln sites on the Korean Peninsula. Surprisingly light in the hand this piece has a look refined through the centuries, the work of a master artist and winner of one of Koreas hi...

The potter who made this exquisite Oribe tea bowl came to be master of his craft in a rather unusual way. Born into a potting family and eventually taking over as the 6th generations head of the kiln. He carried on the family tradition while incorporating ancient potting techniques and methods from foreign lands. Here in this Oribe piece, you can detect a deeper than usual luster to the black glaze, a certain uniqueness in the style of painting, and a golden hue to the feldspar contrast medium, ...

The trademark glaze on this delightful sake flask (tokkuri) is by none other than 8th generation Hagi potter Masanao Kaneta. Close inspection reveals flecks of reflective powdered shell on a backdrop of thick, translucent glaze with hues of orchid, salmon, and ivory. One of our favorite Hagi potters, if you have not previously experienced works by this artist we cannot recommend him enough.

Like the seven generations who proceeded him, Masanao Kaneta (b. 1953) learned his Hagi tech...

A beautiful example of modern Bizen-ware—with a thick feldspar glaze partially covering the clay body allowing the natural ash glaze underneath to show through in areas. This piece along with others by the same artist tend to push the bounds of what you usually see in Bizen pottery.

The craftsman who made this piece, Takahiro Ishii, was born in Tokyo, and, after studying ceramics for a number of years, he moved to Bizen to become a ceramics teacher and later opened his own kiln. H...

Lantern Flowers (Hozuki) decorate this snow white porcelain vase by Yamada Yoshiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Henko. The imagery is expertly depicted over a form which has been allowed some freedom, more like the natural shape of a stone than a traditional vase. This is very much representative of this artists style, known for these asymmetrical shapes, natural corners and exquisite palette. It is 31 x 5 x 17.5 cm (12 x 2 x 7 inches) and is in excellent condition.

A humble crackled white bowl by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan. Inside drops of spilled ink and a bit of blank canvas (raw earth) like a minimalist painting from the 1950s. It is 14.5 cm (5-5/8 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koie Ryoji (1938-2020)) was born in Tokoname and graduated the Tokoname industrial school before moving on to work at a tile factory in 1957, where he would lose two fingers in an in...

Iron glaze with hakeme brushed slip design by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan. There is something of a midcentury abstract expressionist painting to it, with minimal coloration, it stands out in its minimalism and simplicity with a quiet elegance. The brush stroke is consistent both inside and out, not allowing a boundary at the rim. It is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koie Ryoji (1938-20...

Descended directly from the Raku household of potters in Kyoto, Ohi is known as some of the highest quality tea-ware in Japan. The 10th generation Chozaemon is especially appreciated for his masterful technique and high-quality pieces. This one has the added distinction of being endorsed by Hōunsai, the 15th head tea master of Urasenke and of having a expertly applied gold repair along the front of the vessel. Perfect for collectors and practitioners of tea alike.

Born the son of t...

An exceptionally large work by one of the most important contemporary ceramic artists in Japan. Collected widely both here and abroad, a favorite of Daitoku temple in Kyoto who hold a number of his works. Pieces by this artist are held internationally by museums including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Stockholm Museum of Art, and the Urasenke Chado Research Center, Miho Museum.

Trained in a Zen temple before becoming a potter, Tsujimura Shiro (b. 1947) is not your typical craftsm...

White glaze parts like melting snow on the dark surface of boulders in the early spring on this ceramics box by Miwa Kyusetsu XIII enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Setsurei( Mountain range that become white due to snow.) Setsurei is also the name of his exhibition in the end of 2019 celebrating his succession of Miwa Kyusetsu XIII. The scene (keshiki) of the piece does evoke poetic feelings, bringing one out into the fields of the mountainous karst around the Hagi area, standin...

A tall vase covered in rich Oribe green by Yamaguchi Makoto enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oribe Kaki. Asymmetric lines scar the blanketed green body, the rim split to half around the spiraling form. An excellent example of this artists work.
Size, D 11.2 cm H 34.6 cm
Condition, Excellent
A rising star in the pottery world, Yamaguchi Makoto was born in Seto, Aichi prefecture in 1978. In 2000 he was apprenticed to Hiroshige Kato (Kasen Toen). In ...

An austere form calling to mind the strictness of form and years of practice required to master the way of tea by Sugimoto Sadamitsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Kuro Chawan. Beyond, that dark charring fades out to charcoal black color and lively textures, one can imagine the beauty of staring into the bowl at the vibrant, frothy drink.
Size, D 12.1 cm H 8.6 cm
Condition, Excellent
Sugimoto Sadamitsu was born in Tokyo in 1935. A strong a...

This cups is reminiscent of a colorfully striped Nishijin-ori Kimono, blue red green and yellow on a base color of hemp. The rim rises and falls in a rhythmic dance aong the broad shoulder. Created by modern master Ajiki Jun, it comes enclosed in the original signed wooden boxes titled Shio-Yu Basara Guinomi. Basara is a term in Japanese aesthetics associated with the challenge of traditional ideals during the Muromachi period. It is also the name of a style of contemporary and colorful danc...

an unusual contemporary spiraling form vessel by Mihara Ken enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sekki Kaki (Un-Glazed Flower Vessel). Exquisite,with his lively earth tones colors and texture.
Size, D 41.8 cm H 7.8 cm
Condition, Excellent
Mihara Ken was born in Shimane prefecture in 1958, and apprenticed under Funaki Kenji at the age of 23. He has been exhibited and or prized at the All Japan Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten), Asahi Ceramic Exhibition,...

The purity and perfection of this takes your breath away. It is a gorgeous piece by Hattori Tatsuya and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Wan. The bowl is 12 x 13.5 x 8 cm (4-1/2 x 5-1/4 x 3 inches) and is in perfect condition, from the artist late 2020. He is a master of silver/platinum/titanium glazes, and his forms, especially his tea pots, are very popular and generally sell out quickly.
Hattori Tatsuya was born in Tajimi, home of Shino and Oribe wares,...

A little warmth on a cold winter day, lets have a look at cheerful works of Tokugawa Hiroshi. Here is a deep “Apple Shaped” tea bowl covered in lightly crackled Ki-Seto (Yellow Seto) glaze fired upside down so that the glaze coalesces at the rim into a thin bead of yellow glass. It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ki-Seto Chawan with Shiori and Shifuku.
Tokugawa Hiroshi graduated the Gifu Prefetural Industrial High School in ...