NAKANO GYOZAN 中野 行山 "Hand signed 爪描き" - 常滑 - 39.5cm Round 丸鉢 – Unglazed 無釉

Product Details / 鉢の詳細

Region / 産地: Tokoname 常滑市, Aichi Prefecture 愛知県, Japan 日本

Kiln / 窯元: Gyozan Kiln（行山窯）

Potter / 作家: 1st Generation Gyozan – Nakano Yukizyou（初代 行山・中野行常）

Form / 形状: Round（丸鉢 – marubachi）

Finish / 仕上げ: Unglazed（無釉 – muyu）

Hand Signed / 手彫り銘: 爪描き（tsumegaki）

Description / 説明

A beautifully proportioned vintage artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot by 1st Generation Gyozan, Nakano Yukizyou（初代 行山・中野行常）, produced in Tokoname（常滑市）, Aichi Prefecture.

This substantial round bonsai pot（丸鉢 – marubachi） has a full, softly swollen profile with a strong yet restrained presence. The body 胴（do） curves smoothly inward towards the base, creating a broad rounded silhouette with an excellent sense of 安定感（anteikan – stability）, 均衡（kinko – balance） and 調和（chowa – harmony）.

The upper edge is broad and softly rounded, forming a substantial lip（口縁 – koen） that gives definition to the otherwise remarkably clean and uninterrupted exterior.

Inside, the planting chamber is finished with a clearly defined internal rim（内縁 – uchibuchi）, following the circular form of the pot and adding refinement and strength to the construction.

One of the most distinctive features is the set of beautifully executed recessed cloud-shaped feet（雲足 – kumo-ashi）. Each foot is individually incised with elegant scrolling cloud decoration, giving the underside an unusually refined character.

Their recessed positioning beneath the body provides lift and stability without disturbing the powerful rounded silhouette of the pot. The 雲足 become a particularly attractive detail when the container is viewed at planting height or from below, demonstrating the level of consideration given even to areas that are normally less visible.

The unglazed Tokoname clay （常滑無釉土） has matured into an attractive warm reddish-brown to earthy brown colouration, with subtle variations developing naturally across the surface.

Its fine texture and mature surface provide excellent 土味（tsuchi-aji – character of the clay）, while natural ageing and cultivation have contributed attractive 経年変化（keinen henka）, 時代味（jidai-mi） and 景色（keshiki）.

The base is particularly interesting and thoughtfully arranged for both drainage and secure anchoring of a bonsai.

At the centre is a distinctive flower-shaped drainage opening（花形排水穴）, surrounded by four larger circular holes and eight smaller wiring holes（針金穴）. This provides excellent 排水（haisui – drainage） together with numerous positions for secure 針金固定（harigane kotei – wire anchoring）.

The underside bears the characteristic hand-incised 爪描き（tsumegaki）signature associated with 1st Generation Gyozan. This is an important attribution feature and places the pot within the personally hand-signed work of Nakano Gyozan, 1st Generation（初代行山）.

The combination of the generous rounded form, substantial 口縁, defined 内縁, beautifully worked recessed 雲足, mature Tokoname clay and unusually considered drainage arrangement creates a pot with considerable 造形美（zokei-bi – beauty of form）, functionality and quiet 渋み（shibumi – understated refinement）.

External Dimensions / 外寸: 39.5 × 15.5cm

Internal Dimensions / 内寸: 33.5 × 13.0cm

Condition / 状態: Excellent（非常に良好）. No chips, cracks or structural flaws.

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

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 respected for refined proportion, careful construction, quality unglazed clay and an exceptional understanding of the practical requirements of bonsai cultivation.

An important characteristic of Gyozan's work is the relationship between aesthetics and function — 用の美（yo no bi – beauty through function）. His containers were conceived not simply as decorative ceramics but as functional vessels in which proportion, planting space, drainage, anchoring and visual relationship with the tree were carefully considered.

This philosophy can be appreciated particularly well in substantial pots such as this example, where the generous planting chamber and sophisticated drainage and wiring arrangement are integrated into an elegant and restrained form.

Gyozan produced a broad range of traditional forms, while certain individually worked examples display particularly distinctive details such as unusual feet, specialised drainage arrangements and hand-incised 爪描き signatures.

Of particular collector interest are these hand-signed 爪描き works, which belong to the personally worked output of 1st Generation Gyozan and should be distinguished from the seal-only（印のみ） production associated with the second generation.

Following Nakano Gyozan's passing 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 constitute a finite body of work within modern Tokoname bonsai-pot history.

Collector's Note / コレクターズノート

This substantial 39.5cm round pot（丸鉢） is an especially interesting hand-signed example of 1st Generation Gyozan, combining a remarkably clean exterior with much more elaborate detailing beneath the pot.

The broad rounded 胴, substantial 口縁 and clearly defined 内縁 give the container a quiet and powerful silhouette, while the recessed cloud-shaped feet（雲足） introduce a considerably more decorative element to the underside. Their individually incised scrolling details demonstrate the attention given to the complete construction of the pot rather than only its visible exterior surfaces.

The unusual drainage arrangement is another particularly attractive feature: the central flower-shaped drainage opening（花形排水穴）, four additional larger circular holes and eight smaller 針金穴 combine practical cultivation requirements with a beautifully ordered base.

Most importantly for attribution, the hand-incised 爪描き銘 identifies this as a 1st Generation Gyozan hand-signed work, rather than a second-generation seal-only example.

Together, the mature 常滑無釉土, rich 土味, natural 景色, recessed 雲足, unusual drainage arrangement and hand-incised 爪描き give the pot considerable individuality and collector appeal.

With the passing of Nakano Gyozan in 2026, surviving hand-signed works such as this form part of a completed and finite body of work by 1st Generation Gyozan（初代行山）, representing an important chapter in modern Tokoname bonsai ceramics（常滑盆栽鉢）.