~ Japanese fine art from the ancient city of Kyoto ~

Seven Character Sutra of Longevity by Gyōshū Sōkan (1717–1787)

This scroll contains a sutra written as [寿至蓬莱不老僊], pronounced in Japanese as “Jyu-Ita-Hōrai-Furō-Sen.” Originating from Chinese, the characters “蓬莱” refer to th

A Willow Patterned Black Tea Bowl by Banura Shiro

Splashed across a beautifully textured backdrop of shimmering black, the willow leaves painted in silver bring with them a sense of calm and contemplation. Gene

An Excellent Mino Tea Bowl with Cinnabar Glaze

With pottery shards from excavated kilns dating back to the 5th Century, Mino-ware is one of the oldest and most revered pottery traditions in all of Japan. Tho

A Zeze-yaki Tea Bowl from the Kageroen Kiln [Tea Master Item]

Although reports vary, it is generally thought that Zeze-yaki had its heyday in the late Momoyama to early Edo period under the influence and patronage of legen

A “Kase-Guro” Raku Tea Bowl by Higaki Ryota

An excellent offering from Higaki Ryota of Katsura Kiln, this piece displays a classic and iconic shape coupled with a beautiful Kase-guro glaze said to be used

A Shigaraki Tea Bowl by Sugimoto Sadamitsu

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 resi

A Dragon Kogo (Incense Caddy) by Suwa Sozan II

An often overlooked implement in tea ceremony, here we have the humble kogo (incense box) with an image of a sleek and flowing dragon. Commonly thought to repre

An Exceptional Tenmoku Tea Bowl by Sasaki Zen

With origins stretching back over 1,000 years, Tenmoku pottery is thought to have first found its way to the shores of Japan in the 12th century by monks who br

A Raku IX (Ryônyû) Red Tea Bowl with Extraordinary Lacquer Repairs

Price on Request Raku-ware carries with it a very naturalistic aura; with its implements made of raw clay, its use of fire/ water/ and air to shape and harden t

A White Raku Tea Bowl by First Generation Ito Tozan

One of the most prominent potters of the Meiji period and one of only five to ever be appointed as Imperial Court Artist, the name Tozan is synonymous with fine

An Excavated Mishima Tea Bowl [Tokugawa Clan]

Appearing to be from a 2006 excavation site in Tokyo known to be a former residence of the Owari Tokugawa clan—the most senior contingent of the Tokugawa clan t

A Black Raku Tribute Tea Bowl by Kiraku Kizu

With a masterfully applied black Raku glaze and a noticeable aesthetic of austerity and stillness, this piece is what is refereed to in Japanese as an “utsushi”

An Excellent Edo Period Korean “Ido” Tea Bowl — Collector Piece

A very interesting chawan (tea bowl) dating from the Korean Joseon period (Richō in Japanese; 1392-1897). This particular piece appears to be from the 17th or 1

A Kohiki Tea Bowl by Sugimoto Sadamitsu

Kohiki is a traditional Japanese pottery style known for its simple and rustic aesthetic. It involves applying a white slip onto the vessel's surface, followed

A Black Raku Tea Bowl by Ito Tozan

Crafted by one of the most well-known potting families from the Meiji period (Ito Tozan), this black Raku tea bowl displays a glossy sheen and gentle swells rip

An Antique Karatsu Bowl with Exceptional Makie Kintsugi Repairs

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

A White Raku Tea Bowl by Master Potter Sugimoto Sadamitsu

Though rare, occasionally I come white Raku piece by one of our favorite potters, Sugimoto Sadamitsu. Adorned with subtle crackling patterns and variations in t

A Feldspar Striped Edo Period Oribe Tea Bowl

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 the

An Eye-Catching Red “Gong-yu” Tenmoku Tea Bowl

On the base of this tea bowl are the characters “供御” pronounced “Ku-go” in Japanese but “Gong-yu” in the original Chinese—translating in English to something li

An Edo Period Oribe Tea Bowl with Green Glaze

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 the

A Black Raku “Kazuin” Tea Bowl by Higaki Soroku

The term “Raku” was once reserved for a style of pottery produced by a specific household in Kyoto that began over 450 years ago. Over the years, as it gained p

A Richo Era Kōrai Tea Bowl with Gold Repairs

At various times over the long history of tea practice in Japan, Korean-ware has come into high fashion and ships full of the finest ceramics from the neighbori

An Ido-shaped Hagi-yaki Tea Bowl by Zenzo Hatano

Simple yet classic styling—this tea bowl is perfect for anyone looking for the quintessential Ido-shaped chawan crafted by one of Japan’s master Hagi potters. B

Black Raku Tsutsu Tea Bowl by Sasaki Shoraku

Tsutsu-shaped chawan have a unique and especially attractive shape. They are used mainly in the depths of winter to keep in the heat, and prevent the tea from c

An Antique Shino Tsutsu Tea Bowl

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 n

A ko-Seto Mizusashi with Black Lacquer Lid (Tea Master Item)

Seto is a pottery tradition established in the 12th century with the aim of reproducing fine Chinese porcelain and tenmoku-style tea bowls—which were hard to co

Painting of Enso by Priest of Kyoto’s Sangen-in, Hasegawa Kanshu

Deceptively simple and notoriously difficult to apply with the calligrapher’s brush in one fluid, arching stroke; the symbol of the ensō has long been associate

An Edo Period Seto-guro Mino Tea Bowl

Living in Kyoto it is not uncommon to come across beautiful antique tea bowls, however, finding pieces that are in good condition, aesthetically compelling, and

A Katakuchi Sake Set by Hiramatsu Ryoma

If you are familiar with the work of Hiramatsu Ryoma you know that he creates very unconventional ceramics inspired by forms found in nature. Here we have a sak

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A Set of Painted Tokkuri by Living National Treasure Kondō Yuzō

Yuzo Kondo is one of the more recognized names in the world of modern Japanese pottery of the 20th century. Though known mainly for his sometsuke creations (blu

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A Momoyama Period Bizen “Shimokabura” Tokkuri (Researcher Piece)

During Japan's Momoyama period, spanning from the late 16th to the early 17th century, Bizen pottery flourished, producing exquisite pieces such as this “shimok

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Painted Tokkuri and Cups by Living National Treasure Kondō Yuzō

Kondō Yuzō is one of the more recognized names in the world of modern Japanese pottery of the 20th century. Though known mainly for his sometsuke creations (blu

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A Hagi Tokkuri by Masanao Kaneta VIII

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

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A Shino Masterpiece by Living National Treasure Kato Kozo

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 t

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A Set of Modern Sake Cups by Hiramatsu Ryoma

If you are familiar with the work of Hiramatsu Ryoma you know that he creates very unconventional ceramics inspired by forms found in nature. Here we have a set

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An Antique Celadon Chōshi for Sake with a Beautiful Gold Repair

Chōshi are traditional Japanese sake pourers used in formal and ceremonial contexts, particularly in Shinto rituals and wedding ceremonies. They take the form o

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A Black “Prism” Guinomi by Ichikawa Tōru

Scrawled across one face of the hand-crafted wood box housing this exquisite sake cup is the word “Prism,” perfectly encapsulating the inspiration for this angu

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A Set of Sake Cups by Hiramatsu Ryoma

If you are familiar with the work of Hiramatsu Ryoma you know that he creates very unconventional ceramics inspired by forms found in nature. Here we have a set

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An “Ammonite” Guinomi (Sake Cup) by Hiramatsu Ryoma

Reminiscent of a perfectly formed oyster shell or the shell of a hermit crab, this recent creation by young artist Hiramatsu Ryoma demonstrates his creative ima

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An “Ammonite” Kataguchi (Sake Pourer) by Hiramatsu Ryoma

Reminiscent of a perfectly formed oyster shell or the shell of a hermit crab, this recent creation by young artist Hiramatsu Ryoma demonstrates his creative ima

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5-Cup Set by Ōtagaki Rengetsu

Rengetsu is a unique and celebrated figure from Japanese 19th century history. Despite her reported great beauty and talent for the arts, she faced many persona

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A 16th Century Tenmoku Tea Bowl

Before styles such as Raku, Hagi, Karatsu, etc came into fashion for use in the tearoom in early Edo, it was commonplace in cultured society to use tea-ware imp

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A Black Raku Tea Bowl by “Rakuen”

A black Raku ceremonial tea bowl displaying an excellent patina bestowed by time. The light colored clay peeks through in areas giving this piece a unique feel.

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A Celadon Shishi Statue by first generation Miyagawa Kōzan (1842–1916)

One of only five Imperial Court Artists of Meiji, ceramic pieces by Kōzan are highly prized by collectors and are ever more difficult to find on the market thes

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A Cobalt Blue Plate with Kintsugi by Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883 - 1959)

One of the most important Japanese potters of the 20th century, skilled in an impressive number of styles, today his pieces can be found in museum collections a

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A Large Iga Tsubo by Master Ceramicist Tsujimura Shiro

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 tem

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A Porcelain Vase by Wakao Kei

Wakao Kei continues to surprise and captivate with this turquoise blue porcelain vase from his recent offerings. Using deep, rich colors not often seen in this

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A Rice Porcelain Vase by Wakao Kei

According to Kei Wakao, the artist who crafted this extraordinary work, it took him years of trial-and-error to perfect the unique rice-porcelain glaze covering

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A Ring Handled Celadon Vase by Suwa Sozan (1852 - 1922)

A Chinese style celadon vase by one of the 5 Imperial Court Artists of Meiji. Sozan spent his life perfecting techniques for celadon production first used in th

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An Exceptional Raku Tea Bowl by Sugimoto Sadamitsu

A master work by one of the top artisans of the late 20th century—the result of techniques perfected over centuries by dedicated craftsmen residing in districts

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