NAKANO GYOZAN 中野 行山 "Hand signed 爪描き" - 常滑 - 28.5cm oval bag

Product Details / 鉢の詳細

Region / 産地: Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture（愛知県常滑市）
Kiln / 窯: Gyozan Kiln（行山窯）
Potter / 作家: 1st Generation Gyozan – Nakano Yukizyou（初代 行山・中野行常）
Signature / 銘: Hand-incised 爪描き（tsumegaki）
Shape / 形状: Oval Bag-Shaped（楕円袋形鉢 – daen fukuro-gata bachi）
Finish / 仕上げ: Unglazed（無釉）

Description / 説明

A beautifully proportioned vintage handmade Japanese bonsai pot by 1st Generation Gyozan, Nakano Yukizyou（初代 行山・中野行常）, one of the highly regarded names associated with the Tokoname bonsai-pot tradition.

The underside bears Gyozan's characteristic hand-incised 爪描き（tsumegaki – nail-carved/hand-drawn）signature, an important feature of individually worked pots by the 1st Generation and of particular interest to collectors of signed Tokoname bonsai ceramics.

The pot takes the form of a beautifully rounded oval bag-shaped vessel（楕円袋形鉢）. Its body expands outward through a gentle, full-bodied curve before drawing inward towards the base, creating the characteristic swelling silhouette of the traditional 袋形（fukuro-gata） form.

This softly expanding profile gives the pot considerable visual substance while retaining the restrained elegance and 調和（chowa – harmony） characteristic of accomplished Japanese bonsai pottery.

The upper edge is finished with a well-defined double lip（二重口縁 – niju koen）, adding a refined architectural element to the otherwise flowing body. From this structured upper edge, the walls swell gracefully before tapering inward towards the lower body, producing an excellent sense of 均衡（kinko – balance） and 安定感（anteikan – stability）.

The pot is supported by four discreetly positioned recessed feet（隠し足 – kakushi ashi）. Their placement allows the full rounded body to remain visually dominant while providing sufficient elevation and a grounded stance.

Made from unglazed red-brown, groggy Tokoname clay （無釉赤茶荒土）, the pot possesses a rich, earthy surface with particularly attractive 土味（tsuchi-aji – clay character）.

Age and cultivation have introduced subtle natural tonal variation and 景色（keshiki） across the surface, complementing the warm red-brown clay and contributing to the pot's mature 時代味（jidai-mi）.

The combination of the softly swelling 袋形, structured 二重口縁, discreet feet and warm unglazed clay creates a pot with considerable 渋み（shibumi – understated refinement）.

Its proportions and gentle oval form would provide an elegant foundation for a variety of bonsai compositions, particularly semi-cascade（半懸崖 – han-kengai）, informal upright（模様木 – moyogi） and refined literati（文人木 – bunjin-gi） specimens.

External Dimensions / 外寸: 28.5 × 24.0 × 8.3cm

Free Shipping to UK Mainland / 英国本土送料無料

Condition / 状態: Excellent（無傷で素晴らしい状態です）. No chips, cracks or structural flaws. An outstanding example for use, collection or display.

About the Potter / 作家について – 1st Generation Gyozan 初代行山

Nakano Gyozan（中野行山）, 1st Generation Gyozan（初代行山）, was one of the highly regarded makers associated with the modern Tokoname bonsai-pot tradition.

His work became particularly respected for the combination of refined proportion, careful clay selection and an intimate understanding of the practical requirements of bonsai cultivation. His pots embody the Japanese concept of 用の美（yo no bi – beauty through function）, where aesthetic refinement and practical purpose exist together rather than independently.

Gyozan worked across a broad range of classical forms, producing containers recognised for their controlled silhouettes, carefully considered rims and feet, excellent balance and characteristic unglazed Tokoname clay bodies.

Particularly desirable among his works are examples bearing his characteristic hand-incised 爪描き（tsumegaki）signature. These signed pots form an important part of the body of work personally produced by the 1st Generation Gyozan and are especially sought after by collectors of Japanese bonsai ceramics.

Following the passing of Nakano Gyozan in February 2026, during the historic period of the 100th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition（第100回国風盆栽展）, his personally made and hand-signed pots now represent a finite body of work within modern Tokoname bonsai-pot history.

Collector's Note / コレクターズノート

This 28.5cm 楕円袋形鉢 displays many of the qualities for which 1st Generation Gyozan became highly regarded.

The harmonious swelling 袋形（fukuro-gata） profile, carefully formed double lip（二重口縁）, discreet recessed feet and rich 土味（tsuchi-aji） combine to give the pot considerable presence despite its restrained decoration.

Of particular collector importance is the hand-incised 爪描き（tsumegaki）signature on the underside. This attribution places the pot within the personally hand-signed work of 1st Generation Gyozan, rather than the seal-only work associated with the second generation.

The pot demonstrates the restrained 渋み（shibumi） and 用の美（yo no bi） fundamental to accomplished Japanese bonsai pottery. Rather than competing visually with the tree, its warm unglazed clay, gently swelling profile and balanced proportions provide a quiet and harmonious foundation.

With Gyozan's passing in 2026, surviving 爪描き examples such as this have additional historical and collector significance as part of the completed body of work of Nakano Gyozan, 1st Generation（初代行山）.