SANKEI 三景 – Tokoname 常滑市 – 39.4cm Round Drum 丸太鼓形 – Unglazed 無釉

Product Details / 鉢の詳細

Region / 産地: Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture（愛知県常滑市）, Japan 日本
Kiln / 窯: Sankei（三景窯）
Potter / 作家: Sankei（三景）
Form / 形状: Round Drum Form（丸太鼓形 – maru taiko-gata）
Finish / 仕上げ: Unglazed（無釉 – muyu）
Production / 製作: Handmade Japanese Bonsai Pot（手作り日本盆栽鉢）
Mark / 落款: Impressed rectangular Sankei kiln seal（三景印）

Description / 説明

A substantial vintage artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot（和鉢 – wabachi）by Sankei（三景） of Tokoname（常滑）, formed in a broad and relatively shallow round drum form（丸太鼓形 – maru taiko-gata）. At 39.4cm in diameter, the pot has a strong, grounded presence while retaining the restrained proportions associated with traditional Japanese drum-form containers.

The body rises with clean, almost vertical walls, producing a powerful cylindrical silhouette and an excellent sense of 安定感（anteikan – stability and balance）. The upper edge is extremely restrained and does not project outward. Instead, the opening is finished with a very subtle internal rim（内縁 – uchi-beri）, almost imperceptible from the exterior, preserving the simplicity and strength of the overall profile.

Around the lower section of the body is a continuous row of small impressed stud-like decoration（鋲文様 – byo monyo）. This treatment recalls the visual language of traditional Japanese taiko drums（太鼓）, where studs and fittings form an important part of the drum's characteristic construction and appearance. Here, the repeated impressions create a restrained rhythmic line around the circumference without overwhelming the clean cylindrical body.

Directly beneath the stud decoration is a distinctive indented horizontal band（凹帯 – kubomi-obi） encircling the pot. Its recessed construction gives the lower body additional depth and recalls the appearance of the metal binding bands used to secure traditional wooden barrels and vessels. This creates a strong horizontal division while remaining visually subtle.

Immediately below this recessed band is a very slim basal band（細い腰帯 – hosoi koshi-obi）, providing a finely controlled transition between the main body and the underside.

The pot is supported by three recessed cut feet（切足 – kiri-ashi）, each positioned inward beneath the lower edge and carefully following the circular curvature of the pot. Their low, curved form allows them to remain discreet from normal viewing height while giving the vessel sufficient lift and a refined sense of 浮遊感（fuyukan – visual lightness） without compromising stability.

The warm orange-brown unglazed Tokoname clay（常滑無釉土）has a restrained, mature surface with subtle tonal variation. Its natural texture displays excellent 土味（tsuchi-aji – character of the clay）, while age and previous use have contributed gentle 経年変化（keinen henka） and natural 景色（keshiki） to the surface.

The interior（鉢内 – hachinai）is broad and practical, with the planting floor arranged around one large central drainage hole（中央排水穴 – chuo haisui-ana）together with three additional drainage/wiring holes（排水・針金穴 – haisui / harigane-ana）. This four-hole configuration provides efficient drainage and practical anchoring points for securely fixing the tree within the pot.

The underside（鉢底 – hachizoko）bears the impressed rectangular Sankei（三景）kiln seal / 落款, identifying the maker.

The combination of the restrained 丸太鼓形, discreet 内縁, rhythmic 鋲文様, indented 凹帯, very slim 腰帯, and three recessed 切足 gives this pot a particularly coherent architectural character. It is a fine example of how traditional Japanese drum-inspired and vessel-inspired details can be incorporated into a functional bonsai container without disturbing the simplicity of the overall form.

The result is a pot with excellent 造形美（zokei-bi – beauty of form）, practical 実用性（jitsuyosei）, and the quiet understated refinement of 渋み（shibumi）.

External Dimensions / 外寸: 39.4 × 39.4 × 9.5cm

Internal Dimensions / 内寸: 36.0 × 36.0 × 7.0cm

Condition / 状態: Good; please note there are two chips on the legs of this pot! 
One is insignificant, but the other is more substantial, as shown in the photos; this is why I have reduced the pot by £50

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

Collector's Note / コレクターズノート

Sankei（三景） is associated with the Tokoname bonsai-pot tradition（常滑盆栽鉢）, one of Japan's most important centres for the production of specialist bonsai ceramics. Sankei pots are appreciated for their functional construction, restrained Japanese proportions and careful use of traditional decorative vocabulary, allowing the container to complement the bonsai rather than compete with it.

This particular example is especially interesting for its substantial 丸太鼓形（maru taiko-gata – round drum form） and unusually refined treatment of the lower body. The continuous 鋲文様（byo monyo – stud decoration）, recessed horizontal 凹帯（kubomi-obi）, extremely slim basal band and three curved recessed 切足（kiri-ashi） demonstrate considerable attention to the relationship between decoration and structure.

The warm unglazed clay also contributes strongly to its collector appeal. With age, the surface has developed attractive 土味（tsuchi-aji）, 経年変化（keinen henka） and subtle 景色（keshiki）—qualities valued by collectors because they give an older bonsai pot an individual character that cannot be reproduced simply through form alone.

The impressed rectangular Sankei（三景）落款 on the underside further identifies the workshop and makes this large 39.4cm example particularly interesting as a representative piece of traditional Tokoname bonsai pottery（常滑盆栽陶器）.

Rather than relying on elaborate ornamentation, the strength of this Sankei pot lies in 用と美の調和（yo to bi no chowa – harmony between function and beauty）: a powerful yet understated container designed first and foremost to provide a dignified setting for the bonsai.