AusBonsai

I think I got bitten by the Japanese pot bug on my recent visit to Japan and Tokoname. Anyone else have a keen interest in Japanese pots?

Here is a nice example of a Koyo oribe I picked up whilst I was there.

That's a nice pot you got there! The colours and texture reminds me of aerial photography of reefs.

Got any plans for it?

Yes. I have been bitten.
I think I have too many now.
I have a few excess Tokonames I was thinking of selling, and was wondering about the interest here?

Very nice Koyo by the way.

Jarad wrote:That's a nice pot you got there! The colours and texture reminds me of aerial photography of reefs.

That was exactly what I was thinking when I saw that. Maybe put it at the base of an aquarium, and grow coral from it. The first underwater bonsai experiment.

My reaction was the same - coral reef bonsai bonsai pot - I see a low Green Island fig to look like a tree on a coral cay. Ash

Jarad wrote:That's a nice pot you got there! The colours and texture reminds me of aerial photography of reefs.

Got any plans for it?

Yeah few people have mentioned the reef similarity! This one I didn't actually buy with a tree in mind - I purchased it from the pottery and it was a just a really good example of the glaze Koyo is famous for, so had to have it.

wrcmad wrote:Yes. I have been bitten.
I think I have too many now.
I have a few excess Tokonames I was thinking of selling, and was wondering about the interest here?

Very nice Koyo by the way.

Not sure what classifies as too many! You need a good stock of pots to have options when it comes to re-potting time! (well that's what I'm telling myself!) The Japanese don't know "too many"!







What are you thinking of getting rid of? I'm on the lookout for some specific styles at the moment for right price.

Holy moly! Now that's a lot of pots! I fully understand the "had to have it" feeling.

Where did you get so many? Looks like you have more pots than trees.

(I had a few expletives in there for expression, but they didn't seem appropriate.)

JaseH wrote: What are you thinking of getting rid of? I'm on the lookout for some specific styles at the moment for right price.

I have a variety.
I will have to sort through some on the week end and post pics.
I know I have a Koyo that is going..
I just took delivery of a stunning big Housen Souin, and need to make some room.

Here is another Koyo, I picked this one up at the Ueno Green Club market. Good size this one and pretty hefty build. Reminds me of a green misty field.

Jarad wrote: Where did you get so many? Looks like you have more pots than trees.

LOL.. nah those aren't mine! Just some scenes I saw in Japan - most of the nurseries have the under bench spaces stacked high with pots. The neat display was Kimura's pot collection.

wrcmad wrote: I have a variety.
I will have to sort through some on the week end and post pics.
I know I have a Koyo that is going..
I just took delivery of a stunning big Housen Souin, and need to make some room.

Yeah would be good to see some pics regardless.

No one else with anything interesting to show?

Here is a nice old Yamaaki, the current owner of the kiln told me it was made by his father and is already 50+ yrs old(still new on the shelf in the warehouse!). Yamaaki kiln is no longer producing pots which is a real shame, they have some classic designs. I love this finish - its a charcoal grey textured finish. I haven't scrubbed it yet so it still has a bit of dust from years of storage in the Yamaaki warehouse.





I have a couple of junipers which are prospects for this pot later in the year.

Interesting finish is that a glazed piece or a grey clay body?

Haydenmc wrote:Interesting finish is that a glazed piece or a grey clay body?

The original potters son, the current owner of the kiln, did mention something about it when I purchased it, but he only spoke japanese. The translation I got from someone, who is not really knowledgeable in pottery, was that it was a coating of some kind. So I'm guessing some kind of slip or oxide? It does look like a natural unglazed clay with a textured surface but I am not going to chip it to see whats underneath!

Maybe someone else knows more about it? I have another one I will post up later.

These are all really nice man. I wish I would have had more room in my luggage when I was there!

Island Breeze wrote:These are all really nice man. I wish I would have had more room in my luggage when I was there!

Thanks mate! Yeah, if I get back to Japan I definitely plan to stock up on a few more. There isn't much quality Japanese stuff available locally and shipping is a killer!

Pics of my 3 favourites, all tokonames:

An old Kouyou, 20cm across:
Yamaaki, 32cm across:
My latest addition, a large Housei Souin, 40cm across: