sabi

Good afternoon NMB, This will be my last sale for the foreseeable future, and it's a tough one to let go of. Misa Naoki (1947-2023) was a Kamakura-based potter specializing in the cosmos of Raku. Working in a very traditional manner - making glaze from crushed stones found in the Kamo river in Kyoto and firing pieces one at a time using red pine and charcoal as fuel. Carefully monitoring the kiln and while relying only on vision and experience, removing them when the glaze has reached the perfect melting state. Raku firings are a short, volatile process, with hers carrying a roughly 10% success rate. A brutal method to stake your livelihood on, but for those who do things the old way, it's simply the only way. This guinomi has seen its black glaze give way to an awe-inspiring array of color during the firing. While areas of it remain, it is organically intertwined with moss green, warm orange and deep red. Japanese raku has been a core focus of my pottery journey, and the only other artist I've seen that achieves this level of color is the legendary Yamada Sanan, who's bowls will run you a cool million Yen. This piece is in excellent condition with no flaws, measures 6.3cm wide, 5.7cm tall and comes with it's original signed box, cloth and paperwork. In addition, the original owner included the receipt from when it was purchased during the artist's exhibition in February 2022 at the Nihombashi Mistsukoshi department store in Tokyo (a pinnacle destination for such events that hosts artists as prestigious as the mainline Raku family masters). Misa Naoki passed in May of 2023, with this piece marking one of her very last firings. $180 shipped to the USA, international buyers please contact me for a quote. Payment via Paypal friends and family is strongly preferred, but will accept Venmo if necessary. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional pics. Thanks for looking!

Good afternoon NMB, On offer today is beautiful woodblock print that harkens back to the glory days of the bushi. This particular piece is the cover to a collection of prints by the artist Kikuchi Yosai, a prominent late Edo/Meiji painter and printmaker and was published in 1894 by Aoki Suzando. The Image is classic - an early period armor set belonging to Minamoto no Tametomo (1139-1170), complete with longbows, arrows and a tachi complete with the instantly recognizable bear fur saya. The print itself is in phenomenal condition and presents with a fabulous patina. The paper has mellowed beautifully, yet the images retain sharp color and are blemish free. A heartfelt tribute to the warrior class, printed shortly after its downfall. This was professionally framed by my local shop, who does immaculate work and gets all of my pieces. The frame is very high quality, dark brown solid wood with a subtle texture to compliment the strength and age of the print. I believe the material is walnut but not 100% sure. Finished off with a French mat style accent line that I chose to accentuate the iconic Japanese red orange featured in the artwork. The size of the frame is 15 by 18 inches. Asking $350 shipped within the USA, which is about what it cost to frame. International buyers please contact me for a quote. Payment via PayPal friends and family is strong preferred but will accept Venmo if necessary. Thanks for looking!

Bump and a drop to $140.

Both sold.

Koyama Kiyoko is sold, Furutani Kazuya still available.

Good morning NMB! Available today is a stunning sake bottle by a Bizen potter that beautifully combines the thousand year history of the style with modern aesthetic. Kenji Takenaka’s works are hard to come by, and this is one of the most fabulous pieces of sake ware I’ve seen come out of his kiln. A powerful, classic Bizen form from the Momoyama period is masterfully executed in black Bizen clay, which creates a stunning contrast against the natural ash glaze that graced the pot during firing. This piece is in perfect condition and measures 15.5cm tall by 14 cm wide. Its generous size adds versatility, functioning perfectly as either a sake bottle or flower vase. Comes with its original signed box. $180 shipped to the USA, international buyers please contact me for a quote. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional pics. Thanks for looking!

Good morning NMB and Happy Friday! On offer today are two stunning sake bottles that perfectly capture the mystique of intense, long-duration wood firing. The first is a piece by Furutani Kazuya. The son of Furutani Michio, a legend whose untimely passing left a massive void in the world of wood firing, one which his son has since filled and then some. This bottle displays an almost unbelievable range of firing effects, a trademark of the family who literally wrote the book on modern anagama firing. As his late father said, if the kiln doesn’t fire the way you want it to, tear it down and start over - a collection of bricks, as it were. Kazuya is based in Shigaraki and categorizes his wares as such, however this work is what comes to mind when we think of Iga. The dark, scorched body due to the immense heat and long firing duration, thick ash glaze deposits ranging from moss green, to emerald and even some blue tones mixed in. Several large “dragonfly eyes” have formed where the glaze pools after running down the body, a highly sought after characteristic. This bottle measures 13cm tall by 10cm wide and holds a generous portion due to the bulbous form. In perfect condition and comes with its original box, cloth and paperwork as shown. Next up, a rare work by one of Japan's most groundbreaking potters. Kiyoko Koyama paved the way for women, who were traditionally not deemed worthy to participate in wood firing due to its physical demands. Her work is strong and dynamic, a reflection of her own personality that required the utmost resolve to achieve success. There are pages upon pages of information about her, and I recommend anyone interested in this piece, or Japanese pottery in general to do some reading on this once in a lifetime individual. This bottle is classic Shigaraki throughout, beautiful clay flavor is draped in a stunning array of natural ash glaze from the intense firing process, accented by areas of scorching - black, gray and purple tones where the heat became nearly unbearable. This piece features a wonderful kiln effect on the inner lip, a crack that formed during the firing process (the 4th image of the piece) was subsequently filled in by molten ash glaze - a natural kintsugi, if you will. A perfect size for its application, this bottle measures 14.5cm tall by 9.5cm wide and includes its original signed box and paperwork. Asking $220 each including shipping to the USA, or $400 for both. International buyers please contact me for a quote. Payment via PayPal friends and family is strongly preferred, but will accept Venmo if necessary. Thanks for looking!

Here is a rare opportunity to acquire a masterpiece tea bowl by one of Japan’s most captivating potters. There is nothing I could possibly say about Shogo Ikeda that already hasn’t been said. Known for his Oribe and Kohiki works that display power throwing and dynamic, expressive brushwork that is unmatched among contemporary potters. Simply, his work exudes strength, creativity and technical proficiency that culminate in some of the best pots I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. This stunning black Oribe tea bowl was inspired by Momoyama period masterpieces, most notably the chawan known as “Fuyugare” (Winter Withering). The main design is a plant that is neither a bud or in full bloom, but rather a withdrawn in between from when days get shorter and the frost strengthens its grip. The execution is powerful and beautifully reflects the stark but beautiful winter months. The dark glaze shifts from glossy to matte black, and a masterful purple tone where it interacts with the iron rich clay underneath. A highly sought after kiln effect that requires the utmost skill to pull off. A healthy size that befits the style, this bowl measures 13.2cm at its widest by 9.5cm tall and is perfectly balanced with a slightly low center of gravity that allows it to naturally settle into your hands. Includes its original signed box, which features one of the artist’s famous decorations. In this case, a silently robed monk sitting cross legged with a bowl of tea to ward off the cold. Also has the cloth and paperwork from the artist. Please let me know if you have any questions, thanks for looking! Asking $750 shipped to the USA international buyers please contact me for a quote. **Will donate $100 to NMB if sold here.

Good afternoon NMB and happy Saturday! On offer today is a stunning example of the historic Hagi pottery tradition. Known as Oni, or demon Hagi, this sub style uses dark, iron rich clay as a base against the silky white glaze. This produces a dramatic, high energy effect when fired, as the glaze crawls in places and contracts with the body underneath. This piece has taken it a step further, with the glaze having been scraped away down the middle of each side, adding tension and strength to the design. This artist works out of a noborigama (climbing kiln) outside of Osaka and produces some of the most dynamic modern Hagi wares I’ve seen. This one stands 13cm tall and is 9.5cm wide. In perfect condition and stamped on the side with the artist’s seal, a nice callback to the old wares that were done like this so they could be easily identified in large, communal kilns. While made as a sake bottle, this piece would also function beautifully as a flower vase. $100 shipped to the USA, payment to be made by PayPal friends and family. International buyers please contact me for a quote. Thanks for looking!

Still available, ebay buyer cancelled on me.