OLD IMARI (古伊万里 ) and Antique Imari

Although my blog emphasizes "modern", one cannot discuss Japanese ceramics without understanding its past. 

Kaku Ao (Mark of the Aoki Bothers of Arita)  Aoki Kyodai Shokai began before 1890. In 1890 Aoki Junichiro’s kiln was the second largest kiln in Arita ( after Koransha). Aoki Bros was incorporated in 1899.

http://ryuzankoubou.jp/about/historyancestor.html

Aoki Junichiro   (1863-1955)

This sometsuke bowl motif is called Sansui....a land and seascape, which can include craggy rocks, water, mountains, a small structure and sometimes a boat. 

        Some-nishiki plates.  Kaku Ao with red "久"?

            Here is another Aoki mark used @the Taisho period

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Yoshi MARK 

          This plate is a sansui/some-nishiki motif.

The red Hizen MARK in the center of this plates was common in the Meiji Period 1868-1912

This is a lid with the Hizen mark

This bowl is 13cm in diameter

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This small 10.5cm Sometsuke plate is probably from late Edo to early Meiji Period (1860's)

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10 cm Sometsuke Ko-Imari plate (小皿) with rough Kinsugi golden repair

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Imari sometsuke tea cup late 1800's

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             19th century  Imari Iroe (色絵) 28cm plate with Hana Kago center motif

      

     

                                       Antique Imari cover for a bowl

                                        

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Antique Tokkuri

          

These bottles were made in Arita as well as in Tobe. This may be either. They are all very similar and unmarked.

    ARITA BOTTLE/VASE

 

       29 cm tall (15") 73cm around at widest part circa late Edo period

          Sometsuke Rocks and Peony motif (岩牡丹染め付け)

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These little bowls came in a very old wooden box. There were ten bowls, but three had small chips. I believe these may be soba choko or perhaps bowls for simmered vegetables. The painting on them is very fuzzy so it is not my iPhone's fault. 

 

    Sometsuke flower shaped rim with simple "mikomi" center design, Circa 1850's 

LINK:

http://www.meiji-imari.com/en/meijiimari_en/meijiimari03.html

 

       Imari Sometsuke small hand painted dish with bird, squid, fan, and other traditional patterns

Sometsuke Tea bowl with mark somewhat similar to the one above.

  

       Imari Iroe 16cm bowl with "Snake's Eye" foot, circa mid to late 19th century

   

                            

              

Small Meiji era hand painted Sometsuke bowls with snake eyes variation on the foot.

              Nazuna Flower motif. c. 1900

 Meiji period Namasu with Sho Chiku Bai in the center (mikomi).

 

This also has a "sho chiku bai" motif probably late Meiji/ early Taisho era. 

          

This is a top found on the bottom shelf at a charity shop. It has the Kakutomi mark on it. This is probably mid Meiji period. 

Shida Yaki. Late 1800's Meiji era, Imari sometsuke plate 29cm in diameter. It has six stilt marks, no additional markings.

IMARI DISH-Meiji era

                   17cm wide 12.5 cm tall

IMARI DISHES

16.5 cm diameter, The center is a pomegranate motif, alternating Longevity mark  and form of red "fern" Shida Karakusa on the outer panels.  

IMARI PLATE

    15cm wide 12.5cm tall         Imari sansui some-nishiki plate 

Some snapshots from an Auction house

      

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Imari with spurious Chinese reign marks as decoration

Abalone shaped dish 16.4 cm x 13.5 cm

               Sei Ka Nen Sei (成化年製)

19th century small bowl in the "Kikka" (菊花) chrysanthemum motif. Kikkagata zara-chrysanthemum shaped plate. The flowers have 16 petals both in the outer shape as well as in the center.  The back mark is a Chinese mark used on Japanese wares from the mid Edo period. 奇玉宝鼎之珍 (In Japanese would read: ki gyuoku hou tei no chin). **This may be Daishoji Imari

Spurious "Dai Min Sei Ka Nen Sei" mark often found on Japanese antique porcelain. 

These are tops to bowls. Fuki cho shun marking.

FUKI CHOSHUN

    Imari oval plate, no mark.

Three Friends of Winter (sho-chiku-bai) central motif with Uzu-Fuku mark

Edo period Imari plate with Uzufuku mark (attributed to Kakiemon).

       Zoshuntei Sanpo Zo 蔵春亭三保造



FUKAE SEI

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Seiji-Sometsuke with Ken Mark 

This mark is generally found on late Edo/Bakumatsu period wares. It refers to the old Chinese Quianlong period but is used only as decoration. 

*Keep in mind that the Ken mark was also used on repro's in the mid 20th century. Look for other indicators of age. 

                        Iro-e Namasu dish with Snake’s eye foot. The mark reads Man Reki Nen Sei. 

TSUBOYA YAKI (壺屋焼き), KOZA YAKI (胡差 焼), RYUKYU YAKI (琉球焼)-Ceramics of Okinawa Prefecture

Tsuboya-yaki is the traditional pottery of Okinawa. It is also refered to as Yachimun (やちむん). The most common motif is probably the carved fish.  A friend of mine gave me a lovely Dachi-bin with the popular fish design on it. Koza Yaki is made in Okinawa and is very similar. Depending on which town it is made in will determine what label is used.

　　　Kinjo Toshio 金城敏雄

younger  brother of LNT Kinjo Jiro.

https://archive.kinjotougei.com/

I recently (11/2022) visited Okinawa Yachimun dōri area. I got this wonderful piece by Kobashigawa Hiroshi (小橋川弘).

                                          https://tuboya.com/member/小橋川-弘/

  Here is a piece I bought at Nio Gama 

                                            https://tuboya.com/member/島袋-信子/

                                This shape of bottle is called Tonaki bin in Okinawa dialect

Suiteki-water dropper unsigned 

                                                            Small dachi bin/hip flask

Yunomi tea cup 

Sake cups (unmarked) 

mini pot

Aragaki Eiichi 新垣栄一

Aragaki Eisaburō

Generic Ryūkyū mark 琉球

   Shisa, typical tourist ware from Okinawa

Small sake cup by the son of LNT Kinjo Jiro. His name is 金城敏昭, Kinjo Toshiaki.

 

                                      Unmarked ewers

                      This is a Koza Yaki (胡差焼) bottle

                           Koza Yaki Yunomi tea cup

Miyagi Sumiko, daughter of LNT Kinjō Jirō

OBORI SOMA YAKI(大堀相馬焼き)-Ceramics of Fukushima Prefecture

I love the Obori Soma-yaki pottery with its typical crackle glaze and horse motif.  Of course there is more to it than that but that is what I think of when hear Soma-yaki.  After the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident the soma-yaki potters lost everything.  Some have banded together to try to revive the craft.  As far as I know things are still at a stand still and no pottery is yet being produced.  I hope that this beautiful pottery will be able to be revived in the near future.
Update:
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/b02343/fukushima’s-suetoku-pottery-moves-beyond-311-toward-the-future.html

Many of the Soma wares are double walled. It is called "Niju-Yaki". The crackles on blue Porcelain are called Ao-hibi. The heart shape cut outs represent plovers (Chidori). Notice the wavy brush pattern below? That represents waves. This combination of plovers and waves is called Nami-Chidori in Japanese, and is a common motif in Japanese arts. (Some people think the cut outs are hearts and I was told they were here hoofs but in the link below the artisan explains the motif. 

https://www.730.media/soma-yaki-3rd/?fbclid=IwAR2YZ_yLbObu-0w-iZWG5t5qYWJDt7q3WzlIstfX7OUyrk2VI1SzPtIjgvE

Added a sake cup to my collection-no mark

SUE TOKU KILN. 陶徳窯

This is not a piece that I own but was given permission to use these photos for this blog so that it can help others. Mr. Sue lost everything in the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. He tried to make a come back. He has since passed away. 

http://www.artisticnippon.com/product/somayaki/somapottery.html

KOZAN GAMA (幸山窯)

Hankatsu

https://www.hankatsu.com/

Here are some catalog pages from a 1962-1963 Mail Order Gift Catalog of the Far East Exchange Service. (Thanks to Prudencio Rodriguez for allowing me to post from his collection)