Catalog: Artists (677)

A raw porcelain sake cup patterned with blended colored clay by Kusaba Eight enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Neriage Yakishime Guinomi. It is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter, 4.5 cm (just less than 2 inches) tall and in perfect condition, directly from the artist.
Kusaba Eight was born in Arita in 1982, son of the prodigal Kusaba Yuji, who began working the family kiln the year Eight turned 3. Eight as a personality is quite intense, and quick to smile. He quit school and joined the Japanese Air Force. In 2000 he moved to New York, returning to Japan in 2006 where he worked in a music production company in design and videography. He moved back to Arita in 2015, taking up residence under his father at the family kiln.

A fabulous low painterly bowl by Ohmae Satoru enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Onigashima Kuro-Korai Hai. It is 7 cm (3 inches) diameter, 4 cm (1-1/2 inches) tall and in perfect condition, directly from the artist this summer.
Ohmae Satoru was born in Osaka in 1972. He began decorating Kenzan style pottery in Kobe in 1991 with his brother. It was in 1994 he began making Nanban style unglazed pottery. His first solo exhibition was held in Osaka in 1999, and he moved to Shigaraki in 2001 where he began working on Iga and Shigaraki style wood-fired pottery and at the same time began holding solo exhibitions nationwide. He built a fully underground anagama kiln in 2003 but became interested in glazed pottery in 2005 and began creating white porcelain and Karatsu ware. In 2007, he was attracted to Korean pottery from the Joseon Dynasty and started experimenting with Ido tea bowls and persimmon calyx tea bowls using anagama kiln firing techniques. After absorbing many styles, he reached a turning point in 2010, when he moved to Awaji Island and built a semi-underground anagama kiln and a raku kiln. He started making black raku ware. In 2016, he began using clay from Awaji Island to make white raku ware.

A pink sunset band rings this Caribbean blue bowl by Yamato Tsutomu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Hagi Chawan. It is gorgeous to behold, wide and comfortable in the hands, perfect for tea in the warm seasons. It is 15 cm ((6 inches) diameter, 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Yamato Tsutomu was born the second son of Yamato Yasuo, the man who brought Hagi into the 20th century, in 1965. He graduated the Yamaguchi University of Arts in 1988. He has exhibited with Asahi Modern Craft Exhibition, the Nihon Dento Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) and Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Traditional Crafts Exhibition) among others. His first solo exhibition was held in 1996. He served as a guest lecturer at Mendocino Art Center in California in 2001, and currently lectures at the Yamaguchi Prefectural University. Work by him is held in the British Museum, the Japan Foundation, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art and Nomura Art Museum among others.

A footed square plate with sake cup inserted of raw colored porcelain clay by Kusaba Yuji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Neriage Yakishime Nami-mon Ita-Zara (Mixed Colored Clay Unglazed Wave Pattern Flat Plate). It is 24.7 x 13 x 3.5 cm (10 x 5 x 1-1/2 inches) and in perfect condition, directly from the artist.
Kusaba Yuji was born in Arita, the heartland of Japanese porcelain, in 1955, and graduated the prestigious Nihon Daigaku in 1979. He returned to the family kiln in 1984, to apprentice under his father, diverging from ordinary porcelain production, he chose to attempt the unexplored techniques of Neriage colored clay in porcelain. His work was first exhibited in 1990 at the Nagasaki Togeiten, where he received the Governors prize. Since he has been accepted into or awarded at The Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition, Dento Kogeiten Traditional Ceramics Exhibition Saga Kenten Prefectural Exhibition and Asahi Crafts Exhibition among others.

Pink belts this blue-gray bowl like the rising sun reflected off a pre-dawn cloud by Yamato Tsutomu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Chawan and featured in the 59th National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (catalog page 65, catalog included). It is 15.5 cm (6 inches) diameter and in perfect condition.
Yamato Tsutomu was born the second son of Yamato Yasuo, the man who brought Hagi into the 20th century, in 1965. He graduated the Yamaguchi University of Arts in 1988. He has exhibited with Asahi Modern Craft Exhibition, the Nihon Dento Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) and Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Traditional Crafts Exhibition) among others. His first solo exhibition was held in 1996. He served as a guest lecturer at Mendocino Art Center in California in 2001, and currently lectures at the Yamaguchi Prefectural University. Work by him is held in the British Museum, the Japan Foundation, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art and Nomura Art Museum among others.

A gorgeous set of five clam-shell Shaped dishes in organic Chossen Karatsu glaze by Koga Kenji enclosed in the original compartmentalized signed wooden box titled Chossen Karatsu Hamaguri Mukozuke. Each dish is roughly 14 x 16 cm (5-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches) and all are in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Koga Kenji was born in Fukuoka in 1936, but did not start potting until much later in life, at the age of 38. He opened his own kiln in 1991, exhibiting with the prefectural exhibition the following year. Not a competitive person, eh has concentrated on private exhibitions, of which he has had many. His work is humble and easy to use true to that vein of the unknown craftsman of Mingei lore.

A gossamer work by the demanding young female artist Lu Xueyun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Breeze 2019-III. The vessel is made up of married sheets of thin porcelain, so thin in fact that light passes easily through it. Her works are truly exquisite, captivating in their frailty. I have been following the diaphanous works of Lu (known in Japan by the Japanese reading of her name, Ro-san) for nearly 5 years and waiting for the opportunity to introduce her to the outer world. This is 20 x 18.5 x 12 cm (12 x 7-1/2 x 5 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist
Lu Xueyun was born in Chongqing, China in 1987 and graduated the SiChuan International Studies University in 2010, before taking a position in a Chinese company overseas division. Unsatisfied with corporate life, she enrolled in the Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto, Ceramics Course graduating in 2019, then did two years study at the Ishoken Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center. While there she took part in several juried and group exhibitions, but this is the first time her works have been shown to an international audience.

A radical heavy slab of Terracotta clay blasted with ash by Fujimoto Hide enclosed in the orignials signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Toban. It is 33 x 26.5 x 3.5cm (13 x 10-3/4 x 1-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Fujimoto Hide was born in the heart of Shigaraki in 1954, and was fascinated with the medium from a very young age. He worked in several potteries and industrial positions for a decade from 1973, always furthering his understanding of firing technique and glazes, followed by a decade of firing and sculpting, culminating in establishing his own kiln in the forests of Shigaraki in 1995. His work has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries including several private exhibitions with Kuroda Toen in Ginza, the Togei no Mori Museum in Shiga, and just recently an exhibition in Taiwan.

Copper green tinges the mustard surface of this striking elevated dish by Hayashi Shotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ki-Seto Uzumaki-mon Shihozara (Swirling pattern Square Plate in Yellow Seto Glaze). It is 27 x 22 x 7.5 cm (10-3/4 x 9 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Hayashi Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. Although initially entering regular employment upon graduating high school, in 1967 he returned to Toki city to help his brother Kotaro. Very quickly within him was born the urge to create. He won the highest award at the Gifu Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1968, and from there his talent blossomed. He established his own kiln in 1974. Since then his list of exhibitions and awards has been amazing, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Governors Prize and five times winner of Best of Show at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and Best of Show at Gifu Prefectural Exhibition. At the Mino Ceramics Exhibition, in addition to the highest award, the Mino Ceramics Award, he has received all three major awards, including the Shoroku Award and the Kobei Award.

Plovers soar over strips of white and gray along the jagged edge of a green pool on this elongated Oribe slab platter on four raised feet by Kato Kuniya enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oribe O-zara. It displays much of the most notable aspects of Mino ware, from the rough white clay torn and scarred, the rich green of Oribe copper, and the snow-white and gray and of Shino and Nezumi Shino wares. It is 65 x 28.5 x 10 cm (25-1/2 x 11 x 4 inches) and is in perfect condition.
Kato Kuniya was born in Tajimi City, home of Oribe and Shino wares, in 1940. After initial studies at the municipal research facility, he apprenticed under Hineno Sakuzo. Following a stint as an instructor, he went to Kyoto to further his skills where he studied painting, decorating and sculpture, before returning to Toki to establish his kiln in 1970. He has since exhibited with the Nitten Nihon Gendai Togeiten National Modern Ceramics Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten, Chunichi Kokusai International Ceramics Exhibition, Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition among many others, and has received many others.

A gossamer work by the demanding young female artist Lu Xueyun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Breeze 2019-I. The vessel is made up of married sheets of thin porcelain, so thin in fact that light passes easily through it. Her works are truly exquisite, captivating in their frailty. I have been following the diaphanous works of this artist (known in Japan by the Japanese reading of her name, Ro-san) for nearly 5 years and waiting for the opportunity to introduce her to the outer world. This is 21.5 x 27.5 x 13.5 cm (8-1/2 x 11 x 5-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist
Lu Xueyun was born in Chongqing, China in 1987 and graduated the SiChuan International Studies University in 2010, before taking a position in a Chinese company overseas division. Unsatisfied with corporate life, she enrolled in the Traditional Arts Super College of Kyoto, Ceramics Course graduating in 2019, then did two years study at the Ishoken Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center. While there she took part in several juried and group exhibitions, but this is the first time her works have been shown to an international audience.

A spectacular bold statement in burnt straw and raw clay by Master of the genre Yamashita Joji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Hidasuki Hirokuchi Hanaire. Slightly elongated with four somewhat flattened sides, each is a unique perspective. It is roughly 35 cm (14 inches) diameter, 38 cm (15 inches) tall and weighs 8.2 Kg (18 pounds). It is in perfect condition.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Yamashita Joji (b. Tokyo, 1947) lives in Okayama, but began his artistic career in the Vancouver Art School in Canada. Upon returning to Japan in 1971 he apprenticed under (to be) living national treasure Isezaki Jun. He was first awarded in 1972 at the 19th Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and In 1973 was exhibited at the 2nd Nihon Togeiten. This was the start of a stellar career, seeing him establish his own kiln in Inbe in 1978. He has since received too many awards to be listed here including the Nihon Togeiten and Top prize at the 14th Tanabe Art Museum Modern Tea Forms Exhibition (Chanoyu Zokei Ten), and served as mentor to a new age of potters including Wakimoto Hiroyuki.

A beautiful blue fluted bowl by Kawase Shinobu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Rinka Bachi. It is 19.5 cm (8 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3 inches) tall to the rim and in excellent condition.
Kawase Shinobu was born in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1950, heir to a family tradition of potting. His grandfather and father were Kawase Chikushun I and II respectively, masters of Chinese based ceramic styles. He began working with his father, and first came to public attention with his acceptance into the 1969 Nihon Dentō Kōgei Shinsakuten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition for New Works). This was followed by acceptance into the 1974 Nihon Dentō Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), at both of which he exhibited frequently. In 1980 he was selected for the Japan Ceramics Society Exhibition and was awarded there the following year. In 1983 his work was selected for the Japanese Ceramics Today exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. From then his works have been exhibited throughout the globe and he is regarded as Japan’s most outstanding celadon artist working with the traditions of the Tang and Song dynasties. With his exquisite technique, organic forms and pristine glazes, he has developed a unique style that is both traditional and challenging and it is this fusion of contemporary and tradition which draws droves to his art. Work is held in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, San Francisco Asian Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Cincinnati Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, Brooklyn, Birmingham Cleveland, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Saint Louis Museums of Art among others. There is a plethora of information available on this innovative artist, including: Japanese Ceramics Today: Masterworks from the Kikuchi Collection, (Tsuji, Tomo, Hayashiya, 1983), Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections (Frederick Baekeland and Robert Moes, 1993), Quiet Clarity “RIN” Beauty in Contemporary Ceramics (1996), Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century (Joe Earle, 2005), The Betsy and Robert Feinberg Collection: Japanese Ceramics for the Twenty first Century (Mintz, 2014), and or Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection (Harn Museum, 2015)

The inside of this bowl has been glazed, the exterior left in raw clay before the entire was dipped in white gold, creating a stark contrast between inner and outer surfaces by Ogawa Machiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakukinsai Hachi. It is 14.5cm (just under 6 inches) wide 8cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ogawa Machiko was born in Sapporo on the Northern Island of Hokkaido in 1946. She studied under future Living National Treasures Fujimoto Yoshimichi, Tamura Koichi and Kato Hajime at the Tokyo University of Arts, graduating in 1969, then went on to further studies in France and Africa, returning to Japan in 1975. She began garnering attention in the mid eighties, and has since become one of the leading female figures in Japanese pottery. She was awarded the JCS prize in 2001, one of Japans most prestigious awards. Work by her is held in the Brooklyn Art Museum, LACMA, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smith College, MIA, MOMAT and a host of others. For more see “Touch Fire, Contemporary Ceramics by Women Artists” (2009) or Toh, volume 67 (1993). For more information see the current exhibition Radical Clay at the Chicago Art Institute.

An exceptional work by Kondo Takahiro, three sided decorated with concentric squares triangles and circles in rushing fields of blue wrpped in a yellow cloth pouch and enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Jikku tsubo. It is 59 cm (2 feet) tall and in excellent condition enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Created in 1994 it was exhibited at Takashimaya Department Store Gallery that same year in the exhibition "Blue Time 1200". It is also published in the book Kondo Takahiro Time and Space '91-99, Vase Raisonne. A copy of the book is included.
Kondo Takahiro (b. 1958) was born the grandson of Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo. However, he graduated Hosei University not with a degree in sculpture or crafts, but in Literature. From there he studied at the Kyoto Prefectural Technical Institute of Ceramics, followed by a year at the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Research. 15 years later he would spend a year in Edinburgh studying glass making, and with this combination of skills, was born the silver mist series for which he is so highly acclaimed. Work by him is held in Museums throughout the world, including the National Museum of Scotland, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, Spencer Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Art Gallery NSW, Sydney, Hamilton Art Gallery, Australia, Miho Museum. National Gallery of Victoria, Paramita Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Shigaraki, and The São Paulo Museum of Art, Brazil among others. Without a doubt one of the most important contemporary artists in Japan today. For more see Celestial Ceramics: the Art of Kondo Takahiro (2002)

Enigmatic natural forms seem fossilized on the white surface of this rare guinomi by female pottery star Hattori Makiko enclosed in a black lidded wooden box signed and dated inside Heisei 27 (2015) and titled simply Shuki. It is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. This was from way back when we could acquire works by her. Those days are long gone, and this is the last of its kind.
Hattori Makiko was born in Aichi prefecture in 1984. She graduated the Aichi Prefectural University of Education of in 2007, moving to advanced courses which she graduated in 2009. While still in University she participated in her first event, the 40th Female Artists Exhibition in 2006. In 2007 she was accepted into the 45th Asahi Togeiten (and the following year the 46th). In 2008 she was exhibited at the INAX gallery and Chunichikan (Chinese Korean and Japanese) International Art Exhibition. That same year her work was exhibited in Taiwan. 2009 found her in a group exhibition with several rising stars. Tanaka Tomomi, Nakashima Harumi and Hattori Makiko. Since then she has concentrated more on art fairs and festivals, rather than the large competitive exhibitions held nationally. Preferring the interaction with visitors which these smaller venues allow, and reliving the pressure to constantly produce volume so as to stay focused on quality and Uniqueness. Now a mother, there are even more demands on her time.

The first piece she has ever made in pure raw porcelain, here is a striking work by Yamaguchi Mio created in later 2023 titled Kamala. It is 52 cm tall, 36.5 x 33.5 cm (14-1/2 x 13 x 20-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden placard.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

An artist whose bold creations work well in a Western setting, here is a seminal piece just in time for the season decorated with dark iron branches laden with silver blossoms by Miyake Yoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Sakura Mon Henko. Here the artist has set the oxidized silver flowers and dark tree silhouettes on a ground of rusty yellow, an intriguing combination. It is 57.5 x 13 x 30.5 cm (23 x 5 x 12 inches) and is in excellent condition. This is a masterpiece, and at almost two feet long sure to garner a great deal of attention.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Miyake Yoji was born in Shimane in 1950, He studied from 1974 under Ito Kosho, establishing himself as an independent artist three years later in Mashiko. In 1979 his work was accepted into the Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Exhibition of Traditional Crafts) and displayed there annually thereafter. In 1980 he was accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), and many times thereafter. Again the following year he was accepted into yet another major exhibition with the Nihon Togei Ten (All Japan Ceramic Exhibition), once again followed up with repeated acceptance there. Yet in the 90s he turned away from the competitive world and began to concentrate more on private exhibitions, of which he has been hosted many times in some of Japans most prestigious galleries. He was also the subject of an NHK Television Documentary in 1998 and appeared in another in 2000.

A large open vessel decorated with squirrels in kaki-otoshi style by Shinkai Kanzan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 36 cm tall, 27 cm diameter and in excellent condition. Due to size this will require special shipping consideration.
Shinkai Kanzan was born the grandson of Seifu Yohei III in 1912 and was raised from a baby in the confines of the Gojo-zaka ceramic district of Kyoto, inducted daily into the realm of pottery by his father and grandfather. He graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts, and moved on to study painting (after his fathers urging) before returning to ceramics under Kiyomizu Rokubei V and VI. He was first accepted into the Teiten (later Nitten) National Exhibition in 1930, and was displayed there consistently thereafter as well as others, being prized at the 1939 San Francisco Exposition. Just as he was beginning to take off as an artist, he was drafted and sent to China, where he would be captured after the Japanese surrender and spent three years in a Russian Gulag in Siberia. Upon his return to Japan, he branched out on his own; with a unique vision grounded in the roots of the training and instruction he had received before the war, but with a new style and concept to differentiate himself from his peers. In 1951 he was recognized with the Gold Award at the Japanese Art Expo. Following many prizes, in 1974 he was granted the Governors prize at the Nitten, and in 1980 the Nihon Geijutsu-in Sho (Japanese Art Academy prize). In 1989 he was awarded the Kyoto Prefectural Cultural Order of Merit for his life-long endeavors. Works by him are held in the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art among others.

A petaled vase in snow s\white porcelain with silver blossoming from the rim by Itaya Narumi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, from the artist this year. Itaya Narumi was born in Gifu in 1991, and graduated the Toki City Ceramics Research Facility in 2015. She has participated in several exhibitions since, with an emphasis on natural forms and tactile senses.

This is a seminal work by the most legendary figure in Shino today, Hayashi Shotaro, in his signature Manyosai glaze with incredible color patterns enclosed in the original singed wooden box complete with wrapping cloth and name card (Shiori and Shifuku). It is huge at 53.5 x 10 x 24.5 cm (21 x 4 x 9-3/4 inches) and in perfect condition. Very Heavy!
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Hayashi Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. Although initially entering regular employment upon graduating high school, in 1967 he returned to Toki city to help his brother Kotaro. Very quickly within him was born the urge to create. He won the highest award at the Gifu Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1968, and from there his talent blossomed. He established his own kiln in 1974. Since then his list of exhibitions and awards has been amazing, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Governors Prize and five times winner of Best of Show at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and Best of Show at Gifu Prefectural Exhibition. At the Mino Ceramics Exhibition, in addition to the highest award, the Mino Ceramics Award, he has received all three major awards, including the Shoroku Award and the Kobei Award.

An early vase by sculptural legend Yanagihara Mutsuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Heki-yu Tetsu-e Kabin. Hekiyu is a glaze made of copper and cobalt, which when fired takes on the color of Lapiz. In this case the Lapiz blue pours down over a tapering base of raw earth decorated with spiraling blades in iron glaze. It is 23.5cm (9 inches) diameter 27.5 cm (11 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Yanigahara Mutsuo (b.1934) was raised in Seto, and studied in Kyoto along with contemporary Morino Taimei with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. His work is largely sculptural, and his choice of colors is his reflection on the decadence of Japanese society. A list of exhibitions and awards would be much too long but includes the Japan Ceramics Society Gold prize in 2002. Listed as one of the most influential potters of the 20th century in the Japanese ceramics magazine Honoho Geijutsu, he is held in the Museum of Modern Art, both Tokyo and Kyoto (MOMAT, MOMAK), The National Museum of Art, Osaka, V&A, Great Victoria Art Gallery, Portland and any number of other prominent public and private collections throughout the world. For more see Japanese Studio Crafts, Tradition and the Avant Garde by Rupert Faulkner. According to the V&A his “work is striking for its blend of dynamism, colour and wit. A leading figure among Kyoto artists, Yanagihara has taught at Osaka University of Arts since 1968. Yanagihara's application of brightly coloured abstract motifs to vessel forms with anatomical, sometime sexually explicit features - a combination with which he first experimented in the late 1960s and early 1970s - has been a characteristic of his work for the past fifteen years. As in the case of Morino Taimei, a close friend and exact contemporary at Kyoto City University of Arts in the late 1950s, Yanagihara has been considerably influenced by the experiences he gained during two periods of teaching in the United States in 1966-8 and 1972-4. His use of gold and silver - a wry comment, he has explained, on the decaying values of contemporary society and the corruption of Japan's political system - echoes the extravagant style of certain North American artists.”

This guinomi by Watanabe Takuma would complement well the Future Fossil series Sake Server currently being offered. It too has a variegated surface like patched together mtal plates, with brilliant coloration. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Sake-nomi. It is roughly 6 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition acquired this summer from the artist.
Watanabe Takuma was born in Hyogo prefecture in 1968, and after graduating Kansai Daigaku University in 1991, began studying Bizen ware under Yamauchi Atsushi. In 1996 he entered the Bixen Toen Kiln. Shortly thereafter he began exhibiting and has receied numerous awards at the Okayama Prefectural Exhibition (Okayama Ken Bijutsu ten), National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten), Issui-kai-ten, as well as being selected for the influential Tanabe Museum Modern Forms in Tea Exhibition among others. He built his own kin in 2006.

A very unusual sake cup by Kusaba Eight enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Neriage Yakishime Guinomi. In this case there is no glaze over the raw porcelain clay, allowing it to feel soft and textured to the touch. It is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Kusaba Eight was born in Arita in 1982, son of the prodigal Kusaba Yuji, who bagan working the family kiln the year Eight turned 3. Eight as a personality is quite intense, and quick to smile. He quite school and joined the Japanese Air Force. In 2000 he moved to New York, returning to Japan in 2006 where he worked in a music production company in design and videography. He moved back to Arita in 2015, taking up residence under his father at the family kiln.

A Sake cup created from two layers of mixed colored porcelain clay by Kusaba Eight enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Neriawase Guinomi. It is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kusaba Eight was born in Arita in 1982, son of the prodigal Kusaba Yuji, who bagan working the family kiln the year Eight turned 3. Eight as a personality is quite intense, and quick to smile. He quite school and joined the Japanese Air Force. In 2000 he moved to New York, returning to Japan in 2006 where he worked in a music production company in design and videography. He moved back to Arita in 2015, taking up residence under his father at the family kiln.

A very unusual sake cup by Kusaba Eight enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Neriage Yakishime Guinomi. In this case there is no glaze over the raw porcelain clay, allowing it to feel soft and textured to the touch. It is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter, 4.5 cm (just less than 2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Kusaba Eight was born in Arita in 1982, son of the prodigal Kusaba Yuji, who bagan working the family kiln the year Eight turned 3. Eight as a personality is quite intense, and quick to smile. He quite school and joined the Japanese Air Force. In 2000 he moved to New York, returning to Japan in 2006 where he worked in a music production company in design and videography. He moved back to Arita in 2015, taking up residence under his father at the family kiln.

A very unusual digital camouflage tea cup by Kusaba Eight enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Saiji Neriage Kappu. It is 8 cm (just more than 3 inches) diameter,7.6 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Kusaba Eight was born in Arita in 1982, son of the prodigal Kusaba Yuji, who bagan working the family kiln the year Eight turned 3. Eight as a personality is quite intense, and quick to smile. He quit school to join the Japanese Air Force. In 2000 he moved to New York, returning to Japan in 2006 where he worked in a music production company in design and videography. He moved back to Arita in 2015, taking up residence under his father at the family kiln mastering the techniques of Neriage, the only kiln in Arita to specialize in this aesthetic.

A smokey landscape billows like clouds on this fabulous raw form by Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Guinomi. Coals cling to one side, opposite milky green and white while inside a blast of crackled green ice has formed on the wall among a haze of smoke. It is 7 cm (2-3/4 inches) diameter, 5.5 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist. I highly recommend this with the Tokkuri following.
Atarashi Kanji was born in Osaka in 1944, and graduated the Osaka College of Craft design. After 3 years in Kobe, and 4 in Kishiwada (Wakayama) he came to settle in Iga, where he was one of the driving forces behind the resurrection and preservation of the Iga tradition. Although displayed at the National Craft Fair, he prefers the intimacy of the private exhibition, of which he holds several every year. And if ones visit to Japan is not timed right for an exhibition, he can otherwise be found at his kiln working along with his son and daughter.

An exquisite black clay guinomi from Tokoname engraved with white lines by Shibata Yoshiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 2-1/2 inches (7 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Yoshiaki is credited with having discovered the secret of this black clay, now in use by any number of atists in Tokoname. He was born in 1946, and apprenticed under Living National Treasure Yamada Jozan, becoming one of his top pupils. He established his own kiln in 1965 producing traditional tea ware as well as art objects. In 1972 he was recognized at the Vallauris International Ceramics Exhibition, and has had innumerable public and private exhibitions since.

Namako mottled dark blue glaze covers the fractured surface of this guinomi sake cup by Kashima Aya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The technique is deceptively complex. In fact the initial form is created, then a thin layer of ceramic is made separately, dried, then cracked, and the individual pieces are applied like mosaic to the prepared form. Each the space in between the tiles is then abraded, the tiles glazed with color and the space n between glazed with iron. Each piece requires a great amount of painstaking dedication to complete. It is 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 5.5 cm (just over 2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Kashima Aya was born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1987. She graduated the Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, Department of Arts and Culture in 2010. She graduated the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute Design Course in 2020, with an additional two years in their advanced Ceramic Lab, graduating in 2022. During this time, she took part in many group exhibitions. She received Nyusen status at the 55th Women's Association of Ceramic Artists (WACA) Exhibition in 2021. In 2023 her work was selected for presentation at the “Ceramic Synergy Exhibition” held at the Kyoto Kyocera Museum of Art.

A beautiful small Guinomi by Matsuo Takaaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen-yu Yohen Hai. It is 7 cm 2-3/4 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Matsuo Takaaki was born in Yokohama in 1938. He began studies under Tsuji Seimei at Renkoji in 1960 where he trained for over 15 years. He became independent in 1975 and built a climbing kiln in Tama. Since he has been exhibited with the Issuikai but mainly focuses on the intimacy of private exhibitions.

There is an understated elegance in the work of Saito Hiroyuki which is very difficult to describe, but blatantly apparent the moment one holds his work. This guinomi is expertly crafted, rough textured outside with a smooth rim leading to the dark inner “Ma” (emptiness), ready to be filled. It is 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Although I would love to offer a plethora of his work, we will have to wait until our next trip to Kyushu, as Hiroyuki is now concentrating, according to his own personal policy, on the very local populace, with whom he can develop a personal relationship, and know through direct feedback that his creations are rewarding to the end user.
Saito Hiroyuki was born in Kumamoto on the Southern Island of Kyushu in 1978. He came to ceramics after 30, having worked in industry and as a florist. In his late 20 he began to ask, what is a lifelong career? A stylish fellow, he was profoundly affected by the simplicity and style of German born Hans Coper. But it was not necessarily the connections to history and a specific tradition, but the ability to express one’s unique character through clay which drew him toward the potters fold. Around 30 he had a brush with death, and in the ICU decided should he survive, he would dedicate the remainder of his life to expressing himself in earth. Survive he did, and initially he was self-taught, eschewing the practice of apprenticeship while exploring his own new path. In 2013 he entered the Gen-gama under Furumori Gen, taking over the running of the kiln the following year. In 2018 he remodeled, setting up a group studio now shared by several artists working in various mediums.

A surprisingly thin-walled deep Sake cup covered in blasted ash by Matsuo Takaaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Shizen-yu Youhen Nozoki Hai. It is 5.5cm (2 inches) diameter 7cm (just under 3 inches) tall and in excellent condition. Matsuo Takaaki was born in Yokohama in 1938. He began studies under Tsuji Seimei at Renkoji in 1960 where he trained for over 15 years. He became independent in 1975 and built a climbing kiln in Tama. Since he has been exhibited with the Issuikai but mainly focuses on the intimacy of private exhibitions.

A glowering charred dark sake cup by Matsuo Takaaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Shizen-yu Youhen Nozoki Hai. It is 6cm (just over 2 inches) diameter, 7.5cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition. Matsuo Takaaki was born in Yokohama in 1938. He began studies under Tsuji Seimei at Renkoji in 1960 where he trained for over 15 years. He became independent in 1975 and built a climbing kiln in Tama. Since he has been exhibited with the Issuikai but mainly focuses on the intimacy of private exhibitions.

What a joy to hold this igneous Guinomi by Atarashi Manabu, the stone like texture and form are a pleasure to the palm. It is covered in thick ash outside, pooling into crystalline shades on the surface outside, while the inside is largely left untouched, offering a view of the clay and a stark contrast between the inner and outer surfaces to enjoy visually. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Shinogi Guinomi. The vessel fits perfectly in the palm, roughly 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter and is in perfect condition, directly from the artist.
Atarashi Manabu has been growing in popularity as one of the leaders in the Iga pottery tradition since the first time I saw his work nearly 20 years ago when visiting the family showroom in Iga village. Born in 1973 in Osaka son of the second generation artist and one of the leading revivalists of the Iga tradition in post war Japan, Atarashi Kanji. He graduated the literature department of Kansai University in 1995, moving to apprentice under his father a few years later. In 2002 he built his first anagama Kiln, and held his first of a multitude of solo exhibitions. Intensely fired multiple times to achieve the bidoro glass puddles and landscape effects which define his aesthetic, the geometric works add a contemporary sensibility to the traditional Iga style and transcend the realm of utilitarian crafts breaking into the sculptural domain. His work has proven innovative and challenging to the norm, taking his fathers tradition into the 21st century.

Love the work of this elegant artist, here is an exquisite beer cup by Doi Masafumi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Tensenmon Mugi-shu-Hai. It is 13 cm (5-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist. This would make a stunning gift for someone born in summer.
Doi Masafumi was born in Nara prefecture in 1972, and graduated the Aichi prefectural ceramic research facility in 2000. For the next seven years he would work at a kiln in Kyoto, absorbing the many styles and techniques associated with Kyo-yaki before establishing his won kiln back in Nara. He held is first solo exhibition in Kyoto in 2009, and in 2011 was awarded at the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition, where he has been featured many times.

A brilliantly colored bowl studded with shiseki and slashes of black by Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 14 cm diameter, 7 cm tall and in excellent condition.
Banura Shiro (1941-2001) was born the fourth son of influential Lacquer Artist Banura Shogo. His sensitivity to textures may stem from that exacting influence. Although his older brother succeeded the family tradition (another branching into paper arts), Shiro, after graduating the Kyoto University of Fine Art, apprenticed in the plastic arts under Kawamura Kitaro (1899-1966) who was a student of Kitaoji Rosanjin. Rosanjin, a restaurateur, artist, and overall renaissance man believed the dish was there to support and bring out the beauty of food served. Shiro took this as his raison d’etre; his lifetime pursuit to create dishes which complimented the seasonality, texture, color and flavor. He had an impressive list of exhibitions, including a private exhibition at the Umeda Kindai Bijutsu-Ten as well as the Niponbashi Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and Ikebukuro Tobu, the equivalent of being displayed on New Yorks Fifth Avenue or other cities most Trendy streets, as well as many international exhibitions. Like most Iga-area artists, his output was low, but quality and originality high, making his work very much in demand.

A colorful Guinomi Sake cup by Shibata Masamitsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The design, while technically perfect, is playful with soft colors which allow the viewer a childish sense of wonder. It is 6 cm diameter, 7.5 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Shibata Masamitsu was born in Toki City, the heart of Mino country, in 1961. After graduating from Kyotos Ritsumeikan Daigaku University, He spent a year at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility. His work is an extension of his personality, a little quirky, a little cute, always colorful!

An organic cup with sculpted sides covered in crackled pale glaze with random windows of raw and blackened clay by Ishii Takahiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10.5 cm (just over 4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. His original forms and unique powerful glaze application strike a chord between nature, tradition and contemporary.
Ishii Takahiro was born in Gunma prefecture in 1977 took up an apprenticeship under the revolutionary Bizen artist Kakurezaki Ryuichi after graduating and has taken graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Art in 2000 and has taken Japan by storm since opening his own kiln in Hakone in 2006.

A small bottle with ash draped from the shoulder like a traditional priest robe by Takeuchi Kimiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ko-tsubo. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Takeuchi Kimiaki (1948– 2011) was born in Tokoname and started learning wheel throwing when he was a middle school student. He met his mentor Ezaki Issei at the Tokoname Ceramic School when he was 16 years old. Along with Ezaki, he and Osako Mikio revitalized Tokoname ware following eh nearly lost ancient traditions using local mountain clay and ash glaze. He exhibited with and was awarded at the Asahi Togeiten, Chunichi International Ceramic Exhibition, Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition and Nihon Togeiten National Ceramic Art Exhibition among many others. He earned Grand Prize at the International Exhibition of Vallauris. While paying homage to tradition, he imbues his work with a chic contemporary ambiance. Work by him is held in the collections of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, The V&A in London, the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art among others.

Clusters cling to the bottom of this heavily encrusted small bottle scorched black and off kilter which must have become lost in the embers by Osako Mikio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ko-tsubo. It is roughly 8 cm (3-1\4 inches) diameter, 9.5 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Osako Mikio (1940-1995), born in Usa Oita prefecture on the Island of Kyushu, arrived at ceramics late in life, starting to study with Ezaki Issei at the Tokonmane ceramic Research Center in 1968 and staying with his teacher until he built his first kiln in 1982.. He received Grand Prize at the International Biennial of Ceramics in Vallauris, France in 1972. Known for his yakishime and ash glazed pottery, His profound understanding of wood firing, post firing and pottery in general was exceptional and his forms and surfaces are mature beyond his years of experience. A fitting quote by Dr. Frederick Baekeland from the catalogue; Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections, sums up the true nature of the potter and his pots; “The strong, conventional potting and rich sobriety of Osako’s ceramics appeal to modern taste and accords well with the aesthetic canons of the tea ceremony.”

A black Raku Guinomi by Hashimoto Tomonari enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Raku Yaki Kohen Guinomi. It is 2-1/4 inches (6 cm) across, the same height and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this winter.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is already making international waves around Asia. He will make his Western debut in Spring 2020. Get pieces by him while you can!

A very unusual Shuchu sake server made in box-like form with an angular spout, brass handle and wooden lid accompanied by a cubic Guinomi sake cup by Bizen master potter Isezaki So enclosed in the original compartmentalized signed wooden box titled simply Bizen Kaku Shuki (Squared Sake Vessels). Both feature burnished raw red clay with a smattering of ocher colored ash and red veins of hidasuki. The cup is 5 x 5 x 5.5 cm (2 inches) tall. The Server 7.5 x 10 x 7.5 cm (3 x 4 x 3 inches) not including the handle and spout, and both are in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Isezaki So was born the third son of important potter Isezaki Mitsuru in 1968, and was raised alongside the family kiln. At 18 he apprenticed under Bizen master Yamashita Joji, and was first exhibited the following year. After his 20th birthday he went to America for study, returning to Japan, where he would be awarded the first of many times at the Okayama Kenten (Prefectural Art Exhibition). Again, he would spend a year in America for study, and the influences of design are apparent is his non-traditional approach to this day. He has been exhibited and awarded at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Tobiten of the Japan Ceramic Art Society and Tanabe Museum Modern Forms in Tea Exhibition, among others.

A small lapping cluster like a flower bulb in sand-textured earthtones by Yamaguchi Mio, a rare very small piece which can easily fill a nook in a collection. It is 8.5 x 9.5 x 8.5 cm (roughly 3-1/2 inches diameter) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden box, which will be ordered upon sale.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

A beautiful half orb in shimmering silver with matte Caribbean blue by Morino Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Hai. It is 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Morino Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition at a relatively young age in 1957 (a year before graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Fine Art!). In 1960 he received the prestigious Hokutosho prize at the same National Exhibition. In the early 60s he worked as a guest professor at the University of Chicago. Upon his return to Japan his career began to lift off with a second Hokutosho Prize at the Nitten, followed by the governor’s prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo Natby ional Museums in 1972 and was accepted into the first Nihon Togei Ten that same year. Since his list of exhibitions and prizes has continued to grow, with subsequent selections in the Tokyo and Kyoto museums of Art, as well as exhibitions in Paris, Italy, America, Canada, Denmark and others. In 2007 he received the Japan Art Academy Prize, an award to a work of art similar in weight to the bestowing of Living National Treasure to an artist. This puts the artist in a small club, rare and important. For more information on the artist see Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Fired with Passion by (Lurie/Chan, 2006) or the recent exhibition of works titled Generosity in Clay from the Natalie Fitzgerald Collection.

Two sake cups notched and torn from pure white porcelain by Kato Takahiro enclosed respectively in their original signed wooden boxes decorated with overlapping cubes titled Sake Cup. Each is roughly 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall, 5.5 cm (2-1/4 inches) square and both are in excellent condition, directly from the artist this year.
These are by the rising star Kato Hirotaka who was born in Tajimi, Gifu prefecture, home of Shino and Oribe in 1985. His work has been exhibited at the Takaoka Craft Competition, Itami International Craft Exhibition and Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition.

This raw form covered in scorched white has been slabbed off in the Shinogi style by Atarashi Manabu. The word Shinogi denotes the curve on a samurai Sword blade, and has come to be used in pottery to describe things which have been scored or sculpted with a knife. The sake vessel is 15.5 cm (6 inches) tall and in excellent condition and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Shinogi Tokkuri.
Atarashi Manabu has been growing in popularity as one of the leaders in the Iga pottery tradition since the first time I saw his work nearly 20 years ago when visiting the family showroom in Iga village. Born in 1973 in Osaka son of the second generation artist and one of the leading revivalists of the Iga tradition in post war Japan, Atarashi Kanji. He graduated the literature department of Kansai University in 1995, moving to apprentice under his father a few years later. In 2002 he built his first anagama Kiln, and held his first of a multitude of solo exhibitions. Intensely fired multiple times to achieve the bidoro glass puddles and landscape effects which define his aesthetic, the geometric works add a contemporary sensibility to the traditional Iga style and transcend the realm of utilitarian crafts breaking into the sculptural domain. His work has proven innovative and challenging to the norm, taking his fathers tradition into the 21st century.

Fissured white is dribbled with blue and showing flashes of red in the cracks on this large, low Ofukei and Lacquer Guinomi, by Kodai Ujiie enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This is a handful, great tactile qualities and entrancing to look at. It is 8-8.5 cm diameter, 7 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from his recent firing.
Kodai Ujiie was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in 1990, and graduated advanced studies at the Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2015. Since 2014, he has been hosted at more than half a dozen solo exhibitions, proving the popularity of his work.

An elegant elongated form displaying in a rustic, manner the various affects of rough Iga clay by Tanimoto Kei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Hanaire. A dark shadow climbs up the side where the piece had been buried in a cloud of ash during the firing. Where it was not so protected, yellow green glaze accentuates the various textures benath. It is 21.3 cm tall, 9 cm diameter and in excellent condition.
Tanimoto Kei was born the son of Iga artist Tanimoto Kosei in 1948. In 1970 he apprenticed under Hineno Tatsuzo in Mino, and in his youth he experimented widely in many mediums, design, and even spent a few years in Paris learning the art of etching. He returned to Japn in 1977 to devote himself to the plastic arts.

An elegant carved porcelain set of guinomi and Tokkuri, perfect for chilled sake on a hot summer night, by Masafumi Doi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Chomon-Hineri Shuki (Celadon Swirl-Carved Sake Set). Sheer perfection, the design drapes like earrings (or Christmas ornaments) from the top above a belt of raw clay below which swirl waves, all performed simply with one glaze utilizing shadow and depth. The cup is 5.5 cm diameter (2-1/4 inches), the same height. The Tokkuri is 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches) tall and both are in excellent condition, acquired earlier this year when we visited the artist in Nara.
Doi Masafumi was born in Nara prefecture in 1972, and graduated the Aichi prefectural ceramic research facility in 2000. For the next seven years he would work at a kiln in Kyoto, absorbing the many styles and techniques associated with Kyo-yaki before establishing his won kiln back in Nara. He held is first solo exhibition in Kyoto in 2009, and in 2011 was awarded at the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition, where he has been featured many times.

The colors of the prism show through the thick crackled glaze blanketing this Guinomi, by Kodai Ujiie enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This is a handful, great tactile qualities and entrancing to look at. It is 9-10 cm diameter, 9 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from a recent firing.
Kodai Ujiie was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in 1990, and graduated advanced studies at the Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2015. Since 2014, he has been hosted at more than half a dozen solo exhibitions, proving the popularity of his work.

A Future Fossil series Sake Server by Watanabe Takuma enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Shuki. Like something out of a Miyazaki Hayao animation, one expects to see steam pumping as the vessel makes its way of its own accord toward the destined sake cup. Each piece in this series has a unique serial number, this number S151. It is roughly 16 cm (6 inches) long and in excellent condition acquired this summer from the artist.
Watanabe Takuma was born in Hyogo prefecture in 1968, and after graduating Kansai Daigaku University in 1991, began studying Bizen ware under Yamauchi Atsushi. In 1996 he entered the Bixen Toen Kiln. Shortly thereafter he began exhibiting and has receied numerous awards at the Okayama Prefectural Exhibition (Okayama Ken Bijutsu ten), National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten), Issui-kai-ten, as well as being selected for the influential Tanabe Museum Modern Forms in Tea Exhibition among others. He built his own kin in 2006.

A small ceramic bowl in terracotta raw clay by rising star Yamaguchi Mio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Cocoon. This style of built up layers of petals are her signature work, and are based on the progressive growth in layers or rings observable in the natural world. It is 14 cm diameter, 7.5 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
A box will be made for the piece upon sale.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at University, her works were selected for show at the Joryu Togei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

An intriguing handled cylinder vase by Mori Toshiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Te-tsuki Hana-ire (Handled Vase). This small vase has been cut spirally down, the resulting ribbon wrapped over the top and affixed to the opposite side forming the handle. It is 18.5 cm (7-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this summer.
Mori Toshiaki was born the first son of traditional Bizen potter Mori Yasushi in 1982.　Growing up in the family kiln, he entered the Bizen ceramic center in 2005, and after a year of study there continued in the family tradition. He has exhibited with the Okayama Ken-Ten art exhibition, Nihon Dento Kogeiten Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Gendai Chato Ten Modern Tea Ceramics Exhibition and the Chanoyu Zokei Ten (New forms in Tea Exhibition in addition to being exhibited in New York, Taiwan, and London.

The inside of the cup is lined with smooth dark glaze which gleams gold along the rim, while the glistening white outside has been carved away, every divot and ridge a tactile pleasure. It comes enclosed in a wooden box titled Kanka (Quiet, as in: the silent elegance of a flower in bloom). This is a phrase coined by the Edo period Confucian scholar Dazai Shundai in his treatise on The Purple Grass Garden (Shishienko). It is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, from the artist this year. Itaya Narumi was born in Gifu in 1991, and graduated the Toki City Ceramics Research Facility in 2015. She has participated in several exhibitions since, with an emphasis on natural forms and tactile senses.

A traditional wide basin decorated with staggering pine in iron by Nakazato Tarouemon XIV enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled E-Karatsu Hachi. It is 26 cm (10-1/4 inches) diameter 11 cm (4-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. Nakazato Taouemon XIV wa born the eldest son of Nakazato Taouemon XIII in 1957. He completed graduate school at the Department of Sculpture at Musashino Art University in 1981. He returned ot the family studio in 1983 and began making pottery. In 1984 his work was selected for the first time at the Nitten National Art Exhibition. In 2002 he succeeded the family name.

Marbled porcelain clay in lavender and black in wavelike scales form this sake set by Kusaba Yuji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nerito Kuro Namimon Shuki Soroi (Matching Sake set of Marbled Black Clay). This is absolutely perfect for summer sake, the shape is open allowing quick pours and the high fired clay keeps cool, passing on the chill through your fingers as you pour. The cup is 7 cm diameter, 5.5 cm tall (just more htan 2 inches), the Katakuchi 8.7 cm diameter, 9.5 cm (just less than 4 inches) tall. Both are in excellent condition, new from the artist.
Kusaba Yuji was born in Arita, the heartland of Japanese porcelain, in 1955, and graduated the prestigious Nihon Daigaku in 1979. He returned to the family kiln in 1984, to apprentice under his father, diverging from ordinary porcelain production, he chose to attempt the unexplored techniques of Neriage colored clay in porcelain. His work was first exhibited in 1990 at the Nagasaki Togeiten, where he received the Governors prize. Since he has been accepted into or awarded at The Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition, Dento Kogeiten Traditional Ceramics Exhibition Saga Kenten Prefectural Exhibition and Asahi Crafts Exhibition among others.

A striking configuration by the rising young female artist Tanaka Yoko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yu-un Hai (Playful Clouds Cup). Yoko has created a unique technique whereby she combines glass and porcelain. It is roughly 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter and in perfect condition, directly from the artist this summer.
Tanaka Yoko was born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1983, and graduated the design course of Tama Art University in 2007. After working briefly, she enrolled in the Ceramics Lab of the Tajimi City Research center, graduating in 2011, following which she opened a studio in neighboring Toki city. Since her work has been exhibited at the National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Gendai Togeiten) and Kikuchi Biennale (Tomo Museum). She was awarded at the 2014 Mino International Ceramics Fair, 25th National Ceramics Exhibition and her work was taken into the Ibaraki Prefectural Ceramics Museum Collection in 2019.

A fabulous stone textured Guinomi by Inayoshi Osamu enclosed in the original signed wooden box featuring dark raw clay alternating with black and white glaze. Osamu is very low production, and very selective of what he allows out into the world, and I am proud to be able to offer this. It is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter, 5.5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Inayoshi Osamu was born in Aichi prefecture in 1976, the heart of Mino country. He completed his initial training in the plastic arts at the Seto Pottery School in 2002, garnering an award that same year at the 56th Seto City Art Exhibition. In 2007 he established his own kiln in Toyohashi, and was awarded at the 19th Heart of Oribe Pottery exhibition (again the following year). In 2008 he began to focus on the Atsumi pottery of the Heian and Kamakura periods, building up a unique repertoire. After several more domestic shows and prizes, he had his overseas debut in 2010, and has since received a great deal of attention both at home and abroad. He has just moved into a new kiln and workshop this summer, and I am looking forward to what will come out of there this autumn.

Enigmatic designs in free flowing black and rigid lines impinge on the yellow square of this raised plate by Kim Hono. It is 24 x 25 x 4 cm (9-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches), signed underneath. This piece is from a private collection of modern art and was purchased from the artist. There is no box but one could be had for an additional fee.
Kim Hono was born in Seto City Aichi Prefecture in 1958, and graduated the Prefectural Ceramics School in 1977, then taking up apprenticeship at a local kiln before establishing himself as an independent artist in 1982. He held his first solo exhibition in Nagoya in 1985. He has been exhibited at the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition Dento Kogeiten National Traditiaonal Crafts Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten Exhibition, Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten, and his works being shown in some of Japans top galleries including Kuroda Toen in Tokyo’s Ginza ward. Not to be defined, even by himself, famously when asked by Hohnoho Magazine to define his work he cryptically replied only Kaze wo Kanjiru Koto (Feeling the wind).