YAMAAKI 山秋 – 3rd Generation (Kataoka Toshio) "爪描き"- 常滑- 36.0cm Oval Dark Jade / Emerald Green Glazed (楕円鉢・深翡翠緑釉）On Hold!

YAMAAKI 山秋 — 3rd Generation Kataoka Toshio 山秋三代 片岡俊雄 — Tokoname, Aichi（常滑市）— 36.0cm Oval Dark Jade / Emerald Green Glazed Bonsai Pot（楕円鉢・深翡翠緑釉）

Product Details / 鉢の詳細 On hold! While I think if it would go with my Azalea! but ask if you are interested!
Region / 産地: Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture（常滑市）
Kiln / 窯: Yamaaki Kiln（山秋窯）
Potter / 作家: 3rd Generation Kataoka Toshio（山秋三代 片岡俊雄）
Style / 形式: Handmade oval glazed bonsai pot（手作り楕円釉薬鉢）
Glaze / 釉薬: Dark jade / emerald green glaze（深翡翠緑釉・エメラルドグリーン釉）
Seal / Mark: Nail-carved Yamaaki signature and impressed seal to the base（山秋・手彫り銘・落款あり）

Description / 説明
A substantial handmade Japanese bonsai pot by Yamaaki（山秋）, made by third-generation Kataoka Toshio（山秋三代 片岡俊雄）from the famous Tokoname ceramic tradition of Aichi Prefecture（常滑市）. This large oval bonsai pot, daen-bachi（楕円鉢）, has a wide planting area, elegant low profile, and a powerful yet refined display presence.

The pot is finished in a deep dark jade to emerald green glaze, fukai hisui-midori-yu（深翡翠緑釉）, with darker smoky tones and fine speckling across the surface. The glaze has a quiet, aged depth, giving the piece a very shibui（渋い）character. Soft grey-green movement and natural variation create the atmosphere of an old Chinese-style glaze with excellent maturity and depth.

The front features a raised floral relief decoration, hana-ukibori（花浮彫）, adding refinement and visual interest while remaining understated. Around the body there is a subtle mid band, naka-obi（中帯）, which gives the pot structure and balance. The lower edge sits on recessed feet, hikkomi-ashi（引込み足）, giving the pot a clean floating appearance when viewed from the side. The raised rim, kuchibuchi（口縁）, is neatly finished and frames the oval form with strength and elegance.

The underside shows a rich Tokoname clay body with both the nail-carved Yamaaki signature, kugi-bori-mei（釘彫り銘）, and an impressed seal, rakkan（落款）. This is an important detail, as Yamaaki pots with hand-carved signatures are generally associated with handmade work by the Kataoka family and are more desirable than standard production examples. The base also includes four large drainage holes, mizunuki-ana（水抜き穴）, and smaller wiring holes, harigane-ana（針金穴）, making the pot practical and ready for bonsai use.

Yamaaki（山秋）was one of the most productive and respected bonsai pot kilns in Tokoname. The kiln was founded by Kataoka Akitsugu and continued through three generations before finally going cold in 2011. Fired by gas, Yamaaki pots are appreciated for their excellent clay colour, strong forms, and glazes that often echo the atmosphere of older Chinese containers. This large oval glazed example has a powerful but refined presence, ideal for a mature bonsai requiring a cool-toned, understated display pot.

External dimensions: 36.0 x 29.3 x 7.0
Internal dimensions: 

Condition: Excellent condition. There is some watermarking to the surface, but this disappears with a light application of oil, as shown. Minor age-related patina and natural glaze variation are present, consistent with a handmade vintage bonsai pot.

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