KEIZAN HISADA 久田桂山 – 2nd Generation 二代 – Hisada Sadao 久田貞雄 – Seal only 印のみ - 常滑 - 27.7cm Rectangular Unglazed 楕円形 無釉

Product Details / 鉢の詳細

Region / 産地: Tokoname 常滑市, Aichi Prefecture 愛知県
Kiln / 窯元: Hisada Kiln 久田窯
Potter / 作家: Second Generation Hisada Keizan 二代 久田桂山
Personal Name / 本名: Hisada Sadao 久田貞雄
Form / 形状: Rectangular 長方形鉢
Finish / 仕上げ: Unglazed 無釉
Marking / 陶印: Seal Only 印のみ – Impressed Keizan seal 桂山印

Description / 商品説明

A vintage, artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot by Second Generation Hisada Keizan（二代 久田桂山）, Hisada Sadao 久田貞雄, from the Hisada Kiln（久田窯） of Tokoname 常滑市. At 27.7cm, this is a beautifully proportioned rectangular unglazed bonsai pot （長方形無釉鉢）, combining a strong classical body with more decorative detailing around the corners and feet.

The pot has a strong rectangular form（長方形鉢） with softly rounded walls and distinctive flared corners（隅張り）. The subtle outward emphasis of the corners gives additional definition to the rectangular silhouette without making the vessel visually heavy.

The upper perimeter is finished with a gently flared projecting rim （反り口縁）, creating a clean and elegant frame around the planting area. Its relationship with the rounded body and strengthened corners produces an attractive combination of 均衡 (kinko – balance), 調和 (chowa – harmony) and 品格 (hinkaku – dignity).

Particularly distinctive are the decorative cloud-form stepped feet（雲形段足）. The feet incorporate carefully formed scroll-like contours, giving movement and visual lift to the otherwise restrained rectangular body. Their treatment creates an attractive transition between the vessel and its supporting stance while retaining the solidity required of a functional bonsai container.

The pot is made from warm brown Tokoname clay（常滑土） with a fine groggy character （荒土調） and subtle natural speckling throughout the body. The unglazed surface（無釉肌） allows the inherent character of the clay to remain visible, producing an attractive 土味 (tsuchi-aji).

Age and cultivation have already begun to establish natural 経年変化 (kenen henka) across the surface, with a gentle sheen and developing 景色 (keshiki) visible over the walls, rim and feet. Continued use will allow this character to mature further, adding greater depth and 渋み (shibumi – understated refinement) to the clay.

The interior provides good planting depth and incorporates appropriately positioned drainage and wiring holes（排水穴・針金穴） for practical bonsai cultivation.

The underside carries the impressed Keizan seal（桂山印） as the maker's identifying mark. This particular pot is a Seal Only（印のみ） example.

Overall, the combination of 隅張り, 反り口縁, decorative 雲形段足, warm unglazed Tokoname clay and developing 土味・景色 gives this pot considerable character while maintaining the functional restraint of 用の美 (yo no bi – beauty through function).

Dimensions / 寸法

External Dimensions / 外寸: 27.7 × 21.5 × 10.3cm
Internal Dimensions / 内寸: 22.9 × 16.6 × 8.0cm

Condition / 状態

Excellent vintage condition / 非常に良好なヴィンテージコンディション

Shipping / 配送

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

About the Potter / 作家について

Hisada Sadao 久田貞雄, born in 1930 in Tokoname, is the Second Generation Hisada Keizan（二代 久田桂山). He is the son of Hisada Shizuo 久田静夫, who established the Hisada workshop in Tokoname in 1929.

Sadao continued the Hisada family's ceramic tradition and became particularly associated with traditional Tokoname bonsai containers, including refined unglazed work （無釉盆栽鉢） in which form, clay and horticultural functionality are carefully balanced.

His pots demonstrate a strong understanding of how the container should relate to the bonsai rather than overpower it. The natural qualities of Tokoname clay（常滑土） are allowed to remain an important part of the aesthetic, gradually acquiring 経年変化 and individual 景色 through cultivation.

This restrained relationship between craftsmanship and function reflects the Japanese principles of 用の美 (yo no bi – beauty through function), 渋み (shibumi – understated refinement) and 調和 (chowa – harmony).

Collector's Note / コレクターズノート

Born in 1930, Hisada Sadao 久田貞雄 is now in his mid-nineties and remains a living representative of one of the senior generations associated with traditional Tokoname bonsai-pot craftsmanship. His extraordinarily long connection with Tokoname ceramics places his work within an important period of post-war Japanese bonsai-pot history.

This 27.7cm 長方形鉢 is a particularly characterful example of his unglazed work. The combination of flared corners（隅張り）, gently projecting 反り口縁, decorative cloud-form stepped feet（雲形段足） and warm 常滑土 gives the pot a more expressive architectural character while retaining the restraint expected of a traditional bonsai container.

This is specifically a Seal Only（印のみ） example, carrying Keizan's impressed 桂山印 as its identifying maker's mark. It should therefore be distinguished from examples bearing an additional hand-incised 銘.

For the collector, its appeal lies not only in attribution but in the quality of the form itself: the carefully considered proportions, distinctive feet and gradually developing 土味・経年変化・景色 represent the qualities that make vintage unglazed Tokoname pottery increasingly rewarding with continued use.

At this stage in Keizan's exceptionally long life and career, his surviving pots provide a tangible connection to an increasingly senior generation of Tokoname craftsmanship, making this both a highly usable bonsai container and an appealing piece for a collection of traditional Japanese bonsai ceramics.