NAKANO GYOZAN 中野 行山 "Hand signed 爪描き" - 常滑 - 36.0cm Oval Bag-Form Unglazed 楕円袋形 無釉

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Product Details / 鉢の詳細

Region / 産地: Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture（常滑市）
Kiln / 窯: Gyouzan Kiln（暁山窯）
Potter / 作家: 1st Generation Gyouzan, Nakano Yukizyou（初代 暁山・中野行山）
Hand signed / (爪描き)
Seal / 印: Small impressed artist's seal on the exterior face of the pot（外面小印）
Form / 形状: Oval Bag-Form（楕円袋形 – daen fukuro-gata）

Description / 説明:

A fine vintage artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot（日本製・職人作の盆栽鉢）by 1st Generation Gyozan, Nakano Yukizyou（初代 行山・中野行常）, produced in Tokoname（常滑）.

This is a particularly elegant oval bag-form bonsai pot（楕円袋形鉢）, with a pronounced pouch-like silhouette and beautifully controlled proportions. The body swells generously outward through the shoulder（胴張り）, then curves inward towards the base, creating the characteristic fullness associated with bag-form（袋形） Japanese bonsai containers.

The upper section is especially refined. A strongly defined upper band（上帯） creates a narrower neck above the swollen body, immediately beneath a rounded projecting lip（口縁）. This transition gives the pot a distinctive layered profile and reinforces the soft, enclosed character of the 袋形 form.

The lower body draws naturally inward towards the base, where the pot is supported by four substantial rounded feet（四足）. Each foot has a broad attachment to the body and a softly curved, almost half-moon profile（半月形に近い足形）. Their rounded form follows the same visual language as the swollen body, producing a harmonious transition between 胴（body） and 足（feet） while giving the pot excellent 安定感（anteikan – stability）.

The warm brown Tokoname clay（常滑土・無釉）shows attractive tonal variation across the body, with subtle shifts of deeper brown and ochre enhancing the natural 土味（tsuchi-aji – clay character）. The gently matured surface carries a pleasing sense of 経年変化（keinen henka） and quiet 渋み（shibumi – understated refinement）.

A particularly interesting identifying feature is the small impressed seal（小印） positioned discreetly on the exterior face of the pot. Together with the extensive hand-incised 爪描き signature（手彫り銘） on the underside, this gives the piece strong collector interest and a very direct connection to the hand of the maker.

The underside is carefully finished and incorporates multiple drainage and wiring holes（排水穴・針金穴）, including larger peripheral openings and a central grouped arrangement. This provides practical drainage（排水性）and secure anchoring of the tree（樹木固定）.

The combination of the pronounced 袋形, rounded body, strong 上帯, projecting 口縁, softly formed feet, warm unglazed Tokoname clay and personal 爪描き signature gives this pot a particularly strong sense of 造形美（zokei-bi – beauty of form）, 均衡（kinko – balance）, and 品格（hinkaku – dignity）.

External Dimensions / 外寸: 36.0 × 25.7 × 10.0cm

Internal Dimensions / 内寸: 31.2 × 19.7 × 7.4cm

Condition / 状態: Excellent / 状態良好

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

About the Potter / 作家について – Nakano Gyozan 中野行山

Nakano Gyozan（中野行山）was one of the highly respected figures associated with modern Tokoname bonsai ceramics（常滑盆栽鉢）, admired for his controlled proportions, strong functional design and understated Japanese aesthetic.

His work is particularly valued for its combination of 実用性（jitsuyosei – functionality） and 造形美（zokei-bi – beauty of form）, with careful attention to the relationship between the tree and container（樹と鉢の調和）.

Following Nakano Gyozan's passing in 2026, his signed works have taken on additional significance for collectors. Pots bearing his personal 爪描き hand-incised signature, such as this example, preserve a direct trace of the maker's hand and form an important part of the surviving legacy of the Gyozan kiln.

Collector's Note / コレクターズノート

This 36.0cm example is particularly appealing for its distinctive oval bag-form（楕円袋形） construction.

The swollen 胴張り body, narrowed upper section, pronounced 上帯, rounded 口縁, softly curved feet and warm 無釉土 work together to create a very cohesive and recognisable silhouette. The result is softer and more sculptural than a conventional straight-sided oval, while still retaining the stability and strength required of a substantial bonsai container.

The presence of both the exterior impressed seal（外面小印） and the hand-incised 爪描き signature further enhances its collector significance and distinguishes it as a particularly characterful Gyozan piece.