Incense Containers-Kogo 香合

Incense containers, called kogo 香合, are generally used for the traditional tea ceremony to store a few bits of incense. They come in all kinds of shapes. one will see many in the shape of animals, from the Asian zodiac. Other shapes such as fans, fruits, other auspicious animals, etc. are also plentiful. Most styles of Japanese ceramics have versions of kogo. They make wonderful collectables as they are small and come in such huge variety.
One of my favorite books is the Exhibition of Kogo from the George Clememceau Collection.

Hagi by Watanabe Eisen (monkey)

Hagi by Watanabe Eisen (dog and ball)

Mashiko

IZUMO RAKUZAN YAKI-Ceramics Of Izumo, Shimane Prefecture

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Nagaoka at his exhibition in Fukuoka. He took time to sit and talk with me about his work and to answer my questions. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. He specializes in tea ware. His style ranges from simple hakeme decorated forms to more elaborate detailed designs.

Rakuzan Gama
https://www.nagaoka-kukyo.com/
Nagaoka Kukyo 長岡空郷 (Thank you to my friend Alice Gordenker for providing the
information and photos)

Ryumonji Yaki-Ceramics of Kagoshima Prefecture

Ryumonji Yaki is sometimes referred to as Black Satsuma, but that is not entirely true. Certainly much of Ryumonji is black, usually with a splash of color glaze somewhere, but there is much more to it than that. Other styles include "sansai" or three-colored, sharkskin, white shark skin, as well as brown, blue and ochre glazed ware.
see:
http://ryumonjiyaki.jp/gallery/index.htm


Here is an example of black Satsuma with a blue/green flow glaze

ONODA SUE YAKI- Pottery of Yamaguchi Prefecture

These jars are made for umeboshi and are sold as a delicacy of Kokura. I love the umeboshi but always wondered who made the jars! 

I thought they might have been made in Agano or Koishiwara but no. While visiting Kokura yesterday my daughter wanted to buy the umeboshi that come packed in the ceramic jars. We asked one of the sales ladies who made the jars. She hurried away to go find the answer for us. She returned quickly with the information that I had been wanting for years. They are made in Yamaguchi Prefecture, town of Onoda, Sue Yaki (su-e). Onoda clay is high in iron which is perfect for making acid resistant vessels. They mostly make the jars for the umeboshi paste and for strong alcohol. There used to be many kilns but now only Matsui pottery 松井製陶所 remains. 

https://www.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/gyosei/kanko/brand/dentou/other_sanyouonoda_01.html

Arita China

Pages from a mail order catalog dated 1962-63 ( from the collection of P. Rodriguez)

Arita China

The Mark

Yamato China

Yamato China from a mail order catalog dated 1962-63 (from the collection of P. Rodriguez)

https://www.replacements.com/china/yat.htm

Tokanabe

                Tokanabe Wall Pocket. These were made for export in the 1920’s and 1930’s

KINKOZAN-錦光山

There is much written on Kinkozan which is available on line. I will not give the history of the Kinkozan factory here. I will only say that although Westerners refer to this work as Satsuma, it is not the original Satsuma from the Kagoshima area. Satsuma was produced, mostly for export, in Kyoto and other areas near ports. The quality can vary from excellent to poor, even from the Kinkozan factory. Satsuma wares made for the domestic market are usually more simple, and subdued. Much of the Satsuma for the export market, in my opinion, was rather gaudy and oft times crude, although there are many exceptions to that rule. Kinkozan did produce many exceptional wares. Keep in mind there was another maker that used Kinkozan but the kanji characters were different.

Helpful resources:

http://www.artnet.com/artists/kinkozan/
Treasury of Satsuma by Sandra Andacht
www.kinkozan.com 

Tentative dating- 1920's 

Lee Love ceramics

Lee Love was an apprentice for Tatsuzo Shimaoka a LNT of Japan. He makes wonderful ceramics in the mingei tradition. He lives in Minnesota which has a large ceramics community. His wife Jean Shannon is a Woodblock Artist and painter. They make a great creative team.

https://leelove.us/
https://store.northernclaycenter.org/ceramics/by-artist/lee-love/
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Calendar/index.php/name/MINGEI-INSPIRATIONS-Lee-Love-Pots-Jean-Shannon-Prints-Paintings/event/19171/

Fuchi-sabi or brown rim

Fuchi sabi is the brown glazed rim found on many styles 

Modern Kutani yunomi with fuchi sabi

Vintage inban choko with fuchi sabi

Modern Kenzan style bowl with fuchi sabi

Igezara with brown rim is quite common from Meiji and Taisho periods

Meiji period soba choko with fuchi sabi

Mikawachi Porcelain

When people think of Mikawachi and Hirado porcelain wares they generally think of  blue and white (sometsuke), however that is not always the case. in the late 19th century to around the turn of the century red was used on very thin porcelain wares. One characteristic of the Mikawachi red, white and blue style was a particular type of red scroll work around the blue and white cartouche, which usually was a mountain, water scene known as sansui, often with figures. Using just red and white with a red and white cartouche was also very common.
I find this type of ware is often labeled as Kutani on auction sites and have even seen it marked Kutani at established auction houses!

Meiji/Taisho Period Shark Skin tea sets (similar styles made in AIZU- HONGO, Fukushima, Shigaraki)

These prolific shark skin with raised enamel tea sets have been labeled as Banko ware, Aizu Hongo ware (see link below) and Shigaraki ware. I recently came upon a Japanese Pottery book with very similar ware from Shigaraki from the Meiji period labeled as Ichin Kake or inchin Yaki. See photo below. 

*Thanks to Tanii Hozan for doing some research for me on the Shigaraki shark skin ware. 

                                                      Made in Shigaraki

 

These are the common type ( from my collection) 

Made in Fukushima area

https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/hjccc/data/hjccc-89.html

Soba Choko

Soba choko are small deep bowls used for dipping buckwheat noodles in sauce since the Edo period. Originally they were used for dishes in a formal meal to hold some little delicacy called muko-zuke. Soba choko were made in many areas of Japan but nowhere so prevelently as in the Hizen province of what is now Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. They are usually referred to as Imari as a general term. Soba choko can be blue and white, or multi colored. Certain shapes any styles were made at certain times. Many have a janome kodai or “snake’s eye foot”. The foot is usually unglazed or sometimes just the eye is glazed. The “eyes” are larger during the Edo period. The Soba choko of the Meiji period generally have smaller eyes. Many do not have the snake’s eye foot, so we must look at other factors for dating.

From my collection

                                                Meiji period soba choko with small janome kodai

Meiji period iro-e with sho-chiku-bai or pine, bamboo and plum motif

Although these meiji period cups are likely muko-zuke they are a similar size and have the same kind of center (mikomi) decoration.

I visited the Gallery at Vanderbilt.
From the Herman D. Doochin Collection at Vanderbilt University