SHIZAN 紫山 – Tokoname 常滑 – 48.0cm Rectangular 長方形 – 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: Shizan Kiln（紫山窯）
Potter / 作家: SHIZAN（紫山）
Form / 形状: Rectangular with Rounded Corners（隅丸長方形 – sumimaru choho-gata）
Finish / 仕上げ: Unglazed（無釉 – muyu）
Mark / 落款: Impressed square Shizan seal（紫山角印）

Colour Note / 色調について

Please note: The clay has an unusual olive-grey（オリーブ灰色） appearance. A light application of oil enhances the depth and character of the clay and, under stronger illumination, brings forward a noticeably greener olive tone.

Because this is a subtle and highly light-responsive colour, its appearance can vary according to natural or artificial lighting, camera exposure, and individual computer or phone displays. Depending on viewing conditions, the pot may appear olive-green, green-grey, or predominantly grey.

Description / 説明

A substantial vintage artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot（和鉢 – wabachi）by SHIZAN（紫山） of Tokoname（常滑）, measuring an impressive 48.0cm across and formed in a large rectangular shape with softly rounded corners（隅丸長方形 – sumimaru choho-gata）.

The long, restrained body and gently softened corners give the pot a powerful yet refined silhouette, avoiding the severity of a sharply angular rectangle while retaining a clearly defined rectangular form. The overall profile has an excellent sense of 安定感（anteikan – stability and balance） and quiet 渋み（shibumi – understated refinement）.

The walls rise with a very gentle outward movement toward the opening, while the upper edge remains clean and restrained. Internally, the pot is finished with a subtle internal rim（内縁 – uchi-beri）, creating a neatly defined planting area without introducing an unnecessarily heavy exterior lip.

One of the strongest architectural features is the clearly defined lower basal band（腰帯 – koshi-obi）. It runs continuously around the lower perimeter and provides a controlled visual transition between the main body（胴 – do）and the foot structure.

The pot is supported by four broad recessed cut feet（隠し切足 – kakushi kiri-ashi）, positioned at the corners. The feet are set inward beneath the body and follow the softened corner geometry, allowing them to remain visually discreet while providing excellent 安定感（anteikan） for a pot of this size.

The unglazed clay（無釉土 – muyu-tsuchi）is especially interesting. Its fine but subtly textured surface has an unusual olive-grey coloration（オリーブ灰色の土肌）, quite different in character from the more familiar reddish or brown Tokoname clay bodies.

When lightly oiled, the surface becomes richer and deeper, accentuating the natural 土味（tsuchi-aji – character of the clay）. Under stronger light, olive and green undertones become considerably more apparent, while softer illumination returns the pot toward a more subdued grey. This changing response to light gives the surface an attractive sense of 景色（keshiki – natural visual character）.

The interior（鉢内 – hachinai）is broad and practical, providing a substantial planting area suitable for a mature bonsai.

The base incorporates four large drainage holes（排水穴 – haisui-ana） positioned toward the corners, together with four smaller wiring holes（針金穴 – harigane-ana）. A further central rectangular opening is also present, giving the pot a highly functional base suitable for securely establishing and anchoring a substantial tree.

The underside（鉢底 – hachizoko）bears a crisply impressed square SHIZAN 紫山 seal（紫山角印 – kakuin）, providing the maker's identification.

With its large scale, softened 隅丸長方形 form, restrained 内縁, strong 腰帯, broad recessed 切足, unusual olive-grey clay and carefully organised base, this is a particularly handsome and substantial Tokoname bonsai container. It combines 造形美（zokei-bi – beauty of form）, 実用性（jitsuyosei – functionality） and excellent 安定感（anteikan） without becoming visually heavy.

External Dimensions / 外寸: 48.0 × 37.0 × 12.0cm
Internal Dimensions / 内寸: 44.0 × 33.0 × 10.0cm

Condition / 状態: Excellent!
非常に良好な状態です。

A light application of oil has been used to reveal the natural depth and character of the clay（土味 – tsuchi-aji）.

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

About the Potter / 作家について – SHIZAN 紫山

SHIZAN（紫山） belongs to the specialist bonsai-pot tradition of Tokoname（常滑）, Aichi Prefecture（愛知県）, an area internationally recognised for its long ceramic history and production of high-quality Japanese bonsai containers（盆栽鉢）.

Tokoname is one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan（日本六古窯 – Nihon Rokkoyo）, and its bonsai-pot tradition became particularly respected for the quality and variety of its clay bodies, reliable construction and the ability of its potters to produce containers that combine horticultural practicality with refined Japanese proportions.

In this large Shizan example, those qualities are particularly evident in the controlled geometry of the body, the strong but unobtrusive foot construction, and the unusual character of the unglazed clay.

Collector's Note / コレクターズノート

This substantial 48.0cm SHIZAN 紫山 is particularly appealing as a collector's piece because of its combination of scale, restrained form and distinctive clay character（大きさ・造形・土味）.

The rectangular form with softly rounded corners（隅丸長方形 – sumimaru choho-gata） is particularly well executed. Rather than relying on elaborate ornamentation, the pot derives its character from the long, clean body, gently softened corners, clearly defined lower basal band（腰帯 – koshi-obi）, and four broad recessed cut feet（隠し切足 – kakushi kiri-ashi）. Together these details create a strong architectural presence while maintaining the understated refinement associated with traditional Japanese bonsai containers.

The unusual olive-grey unglazed clay（オリーブ灰色の無釉土） is another notable characteristic. Its appearance changes considerably according to illumination, revealing stronger olive and green undertones under intense light while appearing more subdued grey under softer conditions. A light application of oil further reveals the depth and natural character of the clay（土味 – tsuchi-aji）.

At 48.0cm, the pot possesses the physical and visual strength required for a substantial mature bonsai while remaining sufficiently restrained not to compete with the tree. This balance between 鉢（hachi – pot）and 樹（ki – tree） is fundamental to successful Japanese bonsai presentation.

The impressed square SHIZAN 紫山 seal（紫山角印） on the underside provides an important point of identification and completes this substantial example of Tokoname bonsai pottery（常滑盆栽鉢）.