Tetsubin are cast iron water kettles which were popular in Japan as everyday household utensils and for informal and semi-formal tea drinking. During the 19th century, tetsubin made especially as tea utensils came to be highly esteemed. Fine ornamental tetsubin were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony, which was less formal and proscribed than the “chanoyu” tea ceremony.

During the 18th century, a craze had developed in Japan for bunjin, the art and culture of the Chinese literati scholar/painter. One of their daily customs was the drinking of sencha. This custom was adopted by the growing class of Japanese Confucian scholars. The artistic situation in Kyoto around 1800 was influenced by the activities of these Japanese literati, and the sencha cult became one of their favorite pastimes. The interest in sencha soon spread from the bunjin-enthusiasts to the common people in Kyoto, especially to the rich merchants. By using the lost-wax method, metal casters were able to make relief decorated tea utensils in the style of the bunjin, which specifically suited the tastes of the sencha enthusiasts at that time. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today. Tea enthusiasts would also value the simplicity, unaffectedness and imperfection that exemplifies the wabi/sabi aesthetic found in this kettle.

CONDITION excellent; there is normal interior rusting consistent with age and usage.

Giboshi is an architectural element used on older Japanese bridges. The ends are bulbous and come to a point, resembling the onion domes in Western culture and architecture. They are often found in older Japanese bridges and on bridges in Japanese gardens, temples and shinto shrines. This giboshi was purchased in 1973 from an antiques shop on Shinmonzen Street in Kyoto, and a copy of sales original receipt is available.

CONDITION is excellent, with wonderful original patina. There is some light wear consistent with age and usage.

This type of moribon basket or tray was used for displaying seasonal fruit, and it was carved out of a single tree stump. (A similar example can be seen in Figure 133 in “Shadowed Reflections, Japanese Views,” a hardcover catalog by Kagedo Japanese Art.) This is a wonderful and scarce example of early Japanese burl wood carving.

CONDITION is very good, consistent with age and usage. Wonderful rich patina. There is evidence of an early restoration to age cracks in the handle which does not detract from its appearance in any way.

The spectacle of deep-orange persimmon heavy on the bough is one of Japan’s great visual delights. The dried fruits of the kaki are strung together on a thin bamboo stalk and offered to the domestic gods at the New Year.

CONDITION is excellent with only minor surface wear consistent with age and usage.

DIMENSIONS: 3 ½” (9 cm) high to top of pot; 6 ¾” (17.2 cm) high to top of handle; 4” (10.2 cm) diameter.

Tetsubin were popular in Japan as everyday household utensils and for informal and semi-formal tea drinking. During the second half of the 19th century, tetsubin made especially as tea utensils came to be highly esteemed. They were often elaborately decorated with cast iron ornament or with inlays. Fine ornamental tetsubin of this type were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony. Tetsubin can be classified according to their level of quality, separating those of higher technical quality and more decorative external features – the so-called “ornamental” kettles – from those of lower technical quality and less decorated ones. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today.

CONDITION is excellent, with normal vestiges of rusting.

The quality of the relief casting is superb. It is bold and strongly rendered, exceeding half an inch (13 mm) in depth in some places. The body of the kettle surrounding the smooth recessed panels is roughly textured, and the top edge is cast with random hollows and depressions. This edge reflects “intentional damage” cast specifically to add the appearance of great age and antiquity to the tetsubin. (A tetsubin similar in style and high relief casting is illustrated in Figure No. 162 in TETSUBIN by P.L.W. Arts.)

Fine ornamental tetsubin of this type were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony. A common characteristic of sencha kettles was that one side more heavily decorated than the other. In the sencha tea ceremony a tetsubin, held by the host in his right hand, is looked at by the guest with the spout pointing to the right. This is the side of the tetsubin which is usually more ornately decorated in order to enable the guest to admire the kettle’s “best” side. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today.

CONDITION: The iron kettle is in perfect condition with only normal rusting on the interior. The bronze lid has lost its finial although the fixing rod is still firmly present.

The karakusa design is one of many scrolling vine patterns used to decorate Arita and Imari wares, and blue and white sometsuke porcelains with the takokarakusa design are examples of wares made for the domestic Japanese market. Arita is a town on the island of Kyushu which has been a center of Japanese porcelain production since the seventeenth century. With Arita blue and whites, the blue is produced from a cobalt or indigo pigment and is painted straight onto the biscuit, after which the piece is glazed and fired. Ceramics for everyday use were made at the same kilns that were producing highly ornate, purely decorative wares primarily for export. These humble storage bottles often have a greater appeal than export ware because they show a highly developed sense for matching materials, form and function with simple beauty.

CONDITION is excellent, with no chips, cracks or restoration. It is most unusual to find such a large old utilitarian ceramic tokkuri in such great shape.

The shochikubai is a widespread decorative and symbolic motif made up of the pine, plum blossom and bamboo. Sometimes referred to as the Three Elements of Happiness or the Three Friends of Winter, they are symbolic of staying true to high ideals of scholarship, strength and beauty in time of hardship.

Folk pottery consists of various kinds of domestic wares which possess a natural dignity that stems from the combination of the materials used to make and fire the pottery, the craftsman’s technical skill, and the use to which such pottery is put. Folk-craft products or “mingei,” of which this plate is representative, are objects used by common people. These commonplace, functional artifacts are endowed with a beauty directly connected with their utility – a beauty that is humble, unassuming and never pretentious.

CONDITION is excellent for this type of folk ceramic dish. Due to their long and frequent use, old Seto pottery dishes typically show signs of wear and are seldom found without some degree of roughage or damage. There are only insignificant old rim chips and two very old age cracks on this one. This somewhat rough appearance only adds to the plate’s appeal. The clay is darkened by use and age, and it has a wonderful original patina. The six small impressions around the center on the front surface are the result of small clay pellets used to separate the stacked plates when they were being fired.

Also known as Shofu Kajo, this potter was born in Seto in 1870. He came to Kyoto in 1888, and in 1890, he was adopted into the Shofu Kajo family. In 1908, he set up the Shofu Ceramics Company, Ltd. and was awarded a Green Ribbon in 1915. First awarded in 1885, the Green Ribbon was a "Medal of Honor" awarded to "individuals who, through their diligence and perseverance while engaging in their professional activities, became public role models.”

Shofu excelled in hard-paste porcelains and was known for his blowout designs in multi-colored glazes. He is said to have invented several new techniques, including moriage or low relief porcelain. Shofu’s works are generally classified in the same league as those of renowned studio potters Makazu Kozan and Seifu Yohei III. Several examples of his porcelains are featured in “Treasures of Imperial Japan: Ceramics from the Khalili Collection,” including Figure 35, which illustrates a similarly shaped and colored vase of the same size decorated with stylized geese.

CONDITION is perfect.

In the mid to late Edo period, horse-eye plates were one of the standard utilitarian products produced by the Seto kilns. Used for serving food, they appeared in restaurants and inns along the Tokaido Road from Kyoto to Edo, as well as in ordinary homes. Horse-eye plates are the quintessential example of Japanese mingei pottery, and no major Japanese folk art collection would be considered complete without one. They are bold, fresh, powerful and contemporary in feeling.

It is quite rare to find uma-no-me zara in such a large size. See Photo Enlargement 11 to visualize the relative size differential. A more typical horse-eye plate (on the left) and one of similar size to this one (on the right) are illustrated together in Figure 59 in “Quiet Beauty” by Robert Moes which chronicles fifty centuries of Japanese folk ceramics from the world famous Jeffrey Montgomery Collection. The Montgomery Collection is widely considered to be the most important trove of Japanese folk art outside of Japan.

CONDITION is excellent for this type of folk ceramic dish. Due to their long and frequent use, horse-eye plates typically show signs of wear, yet there are only insignificant old rim chips on this one. The unglazed spots in the center ring are marks made by small ceramic points that separated the many plates that were stacked in the kiln during the firing process. This somewhat rough appearance only adds to the plate’s appeal. This uma-no-me zara is darkened by use and age, and it has a wonderful original patina.