YAMAAKI 山秋 – 3rd Generation Kataoka Toshio 山秋三代 片岡俊雄 – Tokoname 常滑市 – 29.4cm Rectangular 長方鉢 – Glazed 施釉

Product Details / 商品詳細:

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

Kiln / 窯元: Yamaaki Kiln 山秋窯

Potter / 陶工: 3rd Generation Yamaaki – Kataoka Toshio 山秋三代 片岡俊雄

Style / 形式: Handmade Japanese rectangular glazed bonsai pot 手作り長方施釉盆栽鉢

Signature & Seal / 銘・落款: Hand-incised inscription 彫銘 / chomei together with an impressed Yamaaki seal 山秋印 / Yamaaki-in to the underside

Description / 説明:

A refined artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot 盆栽鉢 by 3rd Generation Yamaaki, Kataoka Toshio 山秋三代 片岡俊雄, produced at the celebrated Yamaaki Kiln 山秋窯 in Tokoname 常滑市, Aichi Prefecture 愛知県.

This substantial rectangular form (長方鉢 / choho-bachi) is finished in a beautifully restrained pale ivory to warm cream glaze 乳白釉 / nyuhaku-yu, creating a particularly elegant contrast with the exposed reddish-brown Tokoname clay 常滑土 / Tokoname-tsuchi visible on the underside and feet.

The body 胴 / do has a pronounced outward-flaring profile 外反り / sotozori, broadening gracefully as it rises towards the upper rim. The sides remain clean and restrained, allowing the strong silhouette and glaze to provide the principal visual character.

The corners are carefully shaped and subtly flared 隅張り / sumibari, giving the rectangular form additional architectural definition without appearing severe. Viewed from above, the gently shaped corner treatment softens the geometry of the vessel and creates an attractive transition between the long and short sides.

The upper edge is particularly refined. A pronounced projecting lip (口縁 / koen) runs around the complete perimeter and is finished with a delicate raised border (隆線縁取り / ryusen fuchidori). This fine raised detail gives the rim greater definition and visually crowns the outward-flaring body, producing a strong sense of balance (均整 / kinsei) and harmony (調和 / chowa).

The pale cream-white glaze (乳白釉 / nyuhaku-yu) has considerable subtlety, with warmer ivory and beige tones appearing naturally along the rim, corners and edges. Fine speckling and delicate firing variation 窯変 / yohen give the surface depth and prevent the light glaze from appearing flat or overly uniform.

The glazed body contrasts beautifully with the natural reddish-brown clay 赤土 / akatsuchi exposed on the feet and underside. This contrast between 施釉 (seyu) and 無釉土 (muyu-tsuchi) gives the pot a distinctly handcrafted appearance and draws attention to the construction of the base.

Particularly noteworthy are the four recessed, incised cloud-shaped feet (雲形切込み足 / kumogata kirikomi-ashi). Each foot is set beneath the body and follows the geometry of the flared corners 隅張り, creating a cohesive relationship between the upper form and the base.

The feet have broad, curved profiles with carefully modelled incisions 切込み / kirikomi, producing a stylised cloud-like silhouette 雲形 / kumogata. Their reddish natural clay provides a striking visual counterpoint to the pale glazed body, while their recessed positioning 落とし足 / otoshi-ashi allows the pot to maintain a stable yet visually light stance.

The interior 鉢内 / hachinai is neatly finished and shows the natural darker clay body beneath the glazed rim. The planting chamber is deep and practical, providing generous root space while maintaining the elegant exterior proportions.

The drainage arrangement 排水構造 / haisui kozo consists of two principal drainage holes (水抜き穴 / mizunuki-ana) accompanied by two smaller wiring holes (針金穴 / harigane-ana). This provides effective drainage 水捌け / mizuhake together with practical anchoring points 針金固定 / harigane kotei for securely tying the bonsai into the pot.

The underside 鉢底 / hachizoko reveals the natural reddish-brown Tokoname clay and clearly shows the construction of the four sculptural feet. It also carries a hand-incised inscription 彫銘 / chomei together with an impressed rectangular Yamaaki mark (山秋印 / Yamaaki-in), important identifying features for collectors.

The combination of the choho-bachi (長方鉢) form, outward-flaring sotozori (外反り) walls, shaped sumibari (隅張り) corners, refined projecting koen (口縁), delicate ryusen fuchidori (隆線縁取り) and distinctive kumogata kirikomi-ashi (雲形切込み足) gives this Yamaaki pot a particularly sophisticated and individual appearance.

External dimensions / 外寸: 29.4 × 22.5 × 10.6cm

Internal dimensions / 内寸: 24.6 × 17.9 × 8.0cm

Condition / 状態: Excellent! 非常に良好. There is some light watermarking 水跡 / mizu-ato, which becomes considerably less noticeable with a light application of oil, as shown in the photographs.

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About the Potter / 陶工について – 3rd Generation Yamaaki 山秋三代 Kataoka Toshio 片岡俊雄

The Yamaaki Kiln 山秋窯 was one of the best-known and most prolific bonsai-pot kilns in Tokoname 常滑, producing an enormous range of both practical and collector-quality bonsai containers 盆栽鉢.

The kiln was established by Kataoka Akitsugu 片岡秋次 and continued through three generations of the Kataoka family. Kataoka Toshio 片岡俊雄, the third-generation potter 山秋三代, carried forward the family tradition until the kiln eventually ceased firing in 2011.

Yamaaki pots were primarily gas-fired ガス窯焼成, allowing the Kataoka family considerable control over firing colour and clay character. Their unglazed and glazed wares often sought to capture the restrained colours and proportions admired in antique Chinese bonsai containers 中国古鉢 while maintaining the precision and practicality associated with Tokoname production 常滑焼.

Although many production Yamaaki pots remain available, individually worked examples bearing personal hand-incised inscriptions 手彫り銘 / teb彫り-mei or 爪描き / tsumegaki are of particular interest because they indicate more direct involvement by members of the Kataoka family.

Collector’s Note / コレクターズノート:

This is an especially attractive 3rd Generation Yamaaki 山秋三代 example because of the combination of its refined glaze, unusually expressive foot construction and personally worked underside.

The pale nyuhaku-yu (乳白釉) contrasts beautifully with the reddish exposed Tokoname-tsuchi (常滑土), while the four recessed kumogata kirikomi-ashi (雲形切込み足) introduce a sculptural element rarely found on simpler production Yamaaki containers.

The shaped sumibari (隅張り) corners and projecting koen (口縁) with fine ryusen fuchidori (隆線縁取り) demonstrate careful attention to 造形美 (zokei-bi) – the beauty of form and construction – while the hand-incised inscription 彫銘 and impressed Yamaaki seal 山秋印 add further collector interest.

The combination of form (形 / katachi), glaze character (釉調 / yucho), craftsmanship (手仕事 / teshigoto) and the recognised Yamaaki lineage makes this an appealing example of traditional Tokoname bonsai pottery (常滑盆栽鉢), equally suitable for serious bonsai cultivation and a collection of Japanese bonsai ceramics.