KEIZAN HISADA 久田桂山 – 2nd Generation 二代 – Hisada Sadao 久田貞雄 – Hand Signed 手彫り銘 & Seal 陶印 – 常滑 – 49.6cm Rectangular 長方形 – Unglazed 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 / 銘・陶印: Hand-incised signature 手彫り銘 together with an impressed Keizan seal 桂山印

Description / 商品説明

A substantial vintage, artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot by Second Generation Hisada Keizan（二代 久田桂山）, Hisada Sadao 久田貞雄, from Tokoname 常滑市. Measuring 49.6cm, this large rectangular pot （長方形鉢） has a powerful, restrained character particularly well suited to a mature specimen bonsai.

The vessel has strong, straight walls and crisply defined square corners, creating an architectural silhouette with a pronounced sense of stability and 品格 (hinkaku – dignity). The upper opening is finished with a carefully formed internal rim（内縁）, giving definition to the mouth of the pot while preserving the strength and simplicity of the rectangular form.

The body transitions naturally into substantial integrated feet（一体足）. Their construction maintains continuity between the walls and base, creating a grounded stance and a convincing sense of 均衡 (kinko – balance) and 安定感 (anteikan – stability).

The warm, earthy Tokoname clay （常滑土） has developed considerable character through age and use. Natural 経年変化 (kenen henka) and an established patina have created an attractive surface 景色 (keshiki), bringing depth and variation to the unglazed clay while preserving its characteristic 土味 (tsuchi-aji).

This mature, understated surface gives the pot a particularly 渋い (shibui) quality. Rather than visually competing with the bonsai, its restrained form and natural clay character provide a strong foundation from which the tree can remain the principal focus of the composition — an excellent expression of 用の美 (yo no bi – beauty through function).

The underside is particularly important from a collector's perspective, carrying a hand-incised Keizan signature（手彫り銘）positioned above his impressed seal（桂山印）. The combination of the individually incised signature and impressed maker's seal distinguishes this example from Keizan's Seal Only（印のみ） production.

Dimensions / 寸法

External Dimensions / 外寸: 49.6 × 36.2 × 10.2cm

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

There is some natural surface watermarking associated with age and previous use. A light application of oil substantially reduces its visibility and enriches the natural colour and 土味 of the unglazed Tokoname clay.

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 and developed the family's ceramic tradition, becoming particularly associated with traditional Tokoname bonsai containers and refined unglazed work （無釉盆栽鉢）. His larger pots demonstrate an especially strong understanding of proportion and the relationship between the visual weight of the container and the mature bonsai it is intended to support.

Keizan's work allows the inherent qualities of Tokoname clay（常滑土） to remain central to the composition. With cultivation and age, the clay acquires 経年変化 and 景色, enhancing the restrained 渋み (shibumi) that makes traditional unglazed Japanese pots particularly effective beneath mature bonsai.

His work combines practical horticultural purpose with disciplined ceramic design, expressing 調和 (chowa – harmony), 品格 (hinkaku) and the traditional principle of 用の美 (yo no bi).

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 gives vintage examples of his work an increasingly important historical context within post-war Japanese bonsai pottery.

This particular pot is especially interesting because it is hand-signed（手彫り銘）and also carries Keizan's impressed seal（桂山印）. This combination should be distinguished from the numerous Seal Only（印のみ） examples of Hisada production and gives the piece an additional element of individuality and collector interest.

Traditionally, Keizan's hand-signed pots have been regarded by collectors as more individually worked examples. While it is often stated within bonsai collecting circles that he reserved hand-signing for his better pieces, this should be understood as collector tradition rather than a formally documented grading system. What can be stated with certainty is that the hand-incised 銘 represents a more personal maker's mark than an impressed workshop seal alone.

At 49.6cm, the pot also represents a substantial example of his work. Its strong 長方形, crisp square corners, 内縁, integrated feet and mature unglazed 常滑土 combine with decades of 経年変化 to produce considerable 土味・景色・渋み.

For a collector of Tokoname ceramics, the combination of large scale, mature patina, hand-incised signature and impressed seal makes this a particularly compelling example of Second Generation Keizan's work and a tangible connection to a living Tokoname potter whose career spans an exceptional period in the history of Japanese bonsai ceramics.