Appearing to capture an ocean inside a tea bowl, this particular work has been given the very fitting poetic name “Nami” or wave. Masterfully crafted by veteran potter Hideo Torazawa, the inside is painted with a special glaze known as heki-yu—prized for its pure aquamarine character with accents of sapphire and azure depending on the light.

Born in Gifu prefecture in 1935, Hideo Torazawa has enjoyed a long and productive career as a potter and has mastered a number of diffic...

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 this finely shaped tea vessel. Not only was it a challenge to achieve the demure milky translucence of the glaze—similar to the appearance of a grain of rice when held to the light—but also to get the right flowing consistency and pooling effect around the base.

Born in 1974 as the eldest son to a well-established kiln i...

Description:

An old stone box was beautifully carved on the cover with a five-clawed swirling Dragon and with cloud pattern at the basin.
By a well rendered craftsmanship, the covered box was in a magnificent mood by its astonishing image.
Kept in perfect condition and darken patina, there’re only minor defects found at the whiskeys and at one of the corners of the cover.

Date: Qing Dynasty(18th/19th Century),

Dimensions: 9.2cm x 9cm x 8.5cm.

A handsome Republic or Qing era celadon vase

Description: An elegant Chinese scholar box was made of a whole block of Suan-Zhi wood, simple and plain but with beautiful aged patina. Date: Late 18th century Condition is Good but with some cracks inside the bottom due to age.

From our Chinese Blue and White Collection, an elegant 19th century porcelain baluster jar with cover, decorated with figures in a fenced garden setting with scholar’s rocks, butterflies, and floral sprays.

Some collectors tend to be a bit haughty when it comes to 19th century blue and white wares, as it is generally recognized that these blue and white pieces tend to fall off in quality as we get late into this period. As afficionados of Transitional Period through Qianlong Period war...

This elegant work of Karatsu pottery has an unglazed foot, showing the rich ferrous clay from which it is constructed, and displays splashes of ferrous pigment on a backdrop of ashen glaze with a milky white overglaze. The triangular shape and large proportions make for a very distinctive work of e-Karatsu or “painted” Karatsu.

Like many pottery traditions in Japan, Karatsu takes its name from the city where it originated. As early as the 15th century, Korean potters...

From our Chinese Polychrome Collection, a magnificent eight-panel gilt lacquer export screen, 19th century, exquisitely painted in finely detailed gilding on a black lacquer ground, depicting a wide array of festive scenes with figures in elaborate garden pavilions and riverside pagodas, with rolling mountains and hills in the distance, all set inside a floral and key-fret scroll border. The scenes portrayed exhibit a wonderful range from courtship scenes to musical ensembles to riverboat rides...

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 imported from China. In fact, some pottery styles uniquely Japanese (such as Shino) are thought to have been born out of unsuccessful attempts to emulate these extremely high-quality and refined ceramics. The number of such pieces imported was so great that today it is not uncommon for Chinese collectors to visit Japan in search of authentic...

Sometime around the year 1600 the first Takatori kiln was constructed at the foot of Mt Takatori in Fukuoka. This tradition was based on styles created by Korean potters brought to the shores of Japan during its colonial expansionism of the late 16th century. A favorite of the Kuroda lords of the time, its production and use was closely guarded until later in the 19th century when the domain system was abolished, freeing it up to be more widely used. Though Takatori-ware has been admired by many...

This lovely Shino tea bowl from the Edo period is fashioned from coarse Mino clay and is covered in feldspar glazing. As with many pieces of this period and style, it has classic abstract painting across the sides created using ferrous pigment—contrasting nicely with the ivory background. Not only does this piece have a lovely wabi feel to it bestowed by age; it also has several exquisite gold repairs that contrast nicely with the soft patina and the crackled glazing.

Shino-ware d...

Stemming from the philosophy of wabi-sabi—often described as the beauty found in the imperfection and transience of the world—cracks and repairs in a work of pottery are often seen as highlighting the history and importance of a ceramic object. Practitioners of tea in particular are fond of reminding us that works repaired with lacquer and gold such as the one featured here become more resilient and beautiful for having been damaged. In this case, the gold repairs undoubtedly enhance the bea...

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 with all of the trappings that let you know they were cared for by a devoted cha-jin can be quite challenging. Here we see all three. The shape of this tea bowl is exquisite and something I have not seen before in a Mino piece. The lacquer box, while not the original was undoubtedly custom made for this tea bowl and looks to be 100 - 200...

The jet-black glaze of this cha-ire (tea caddy) nicely highlights the Chrysanthemum flowers (Kiku) adorning the upper surface—long considered auspicious symbols of longevity and rejuvenation in Japan. When first introduced to the island nation during the Nara period (710 – 793 AC), the Japanese Royal Family was fascinated with the Chrysanthemum. Over time, it became the Imperial Family Emblem and during certain eras was generally forbidden to be used by the general public.

In f...

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

As can be seen here, this piece is of the green variety and looks to be from the mid-to-early Edo period as can be determined ...

This Madara-garatsu tea bowl (Madara Karatsu-ware) uses a technique known as yobitsugi—using pottery shards from other works to complete the gold repair—thereby adding a special character to the piece. It is also worth noting that although many kilns currently exist which specialize in Madara-garatsu ware, this piece comes from the original Kishidake family kiln where the tradition began.

Madara-garatsu is one type of Karatsu-ware which takes its name from its spotted or speckle...

An eye-catching combination of red lacquer and gold repairs on a classic Karatsu tea bowl dating from Edo. Like many pottery traditions in Japan, Karatsu takes its name from the city where it originated. As early as the 15th century Korean potters heavily influenced the development of this form—helping to endow it with the earthy, simple, and natural qualities it is so appreciated for. Signed with an endorsement from the 14th Head Tea Master of Urasenke (the largest school of tea in Japan); Ta...

Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this mid-Edo period vase embodies simplicity, beauty, and understated elegance. Its unassuming form showcases the natural beauty of the clay, enhanced by a delicate ash glaze. The texture and shape evoke a sense of rustic charm, reflecting the profound harmony between human creativity and the organic world. Now several centuries old, this piece continues to serves not only as a functional display piece, but also as a symbol of the enduring leg...