Mingei Arts

Chawan is a Japanese tea bowl used for serving Matcha, (thick, strong Green Tea), in the Tea Ceremony. It is different than an everyday teacup, (yunomi), which is generally used daily for lighter teas such as sencha or bancha. A winter tea bowl like the one being sold is a deeper bowl used during cold [...]

Oribe potters are followers of Yo to bi, (Beauty and Use), placing emphasis on a containe’rs beauty first, and its use second. This mid-Showa period (1926-1989) vase captures the essence of the Momoyama Period and Mingei traditions, with a modern and boundary-pushing twist. This monochrome asymmetrical Hanaire is made from four slabs of clay, mostly [...]

This is a beautiful Japanese ceramic Mizusashi, (cold water vessel). The piece comes with a fitted black-lacquer finished wood lid. This Mizusashi is in very good condition with no obvious cracks or damages found on the ware. It has a beautiful rich, glossy dark brown glazing with an emphasis on the top opening with a [...]

This burner, in the shape of a temple oil lamp, has a removable pierced lid that matches the bottom, and has a beautiful translucent, celadon green glaze. Unsigned. Age: 1920s-1930s. Dimensions: 2-1/4″w x 2-1/2″h Additional Information— No other home or temple accessory has quite the same spiritual function as incense burners, (kōro), in the Japanese [...]

This is a Vintage Ceramic Double (rare) Figurine of a fisherman holding his fishing pole with the catch of the day on the string, casually sitting on a garden seat with table, talking with a scholar holding his fly whisk (hossu) in his right hand. The figures have unglazed faces and hands but glazed hair, [...]

Jiki-shippo literally, “porcelain-enamel,” is enamel work that is decorated on a porcelain body or foundation that has been fired at a high temperature. Also commonly referred to as totai shippo, which is a more general term used to include ceramic, earthenware or porcelain bases. “Tree-bark” cloisonne’ is a sub-category of Totai Cloisonne’, and is relatively fragile due to the delicate surfacing technique [...]

One of the most famous black wares produced in China is the Jian (Jianyang) ware of Fujian province, known in Japan as Temmoku. The brown/black glaze of this water pot was marked with streaks or spots, usually called “hare’s-fur” or “oil spot” effect. The term Youhen meaning, “kiln change”, directly relates to the hare’s-fur glazing in that it refers to [...]

The concept of “erotic art” (Shunga) may have emerged in the Edo period when every form of popular culture flourished. This does not mean there were no earlier works of erotica; very early works were by highly literate nobles and were often considered works of art. Japanese mythology, later formulated into the system known as [...]