YAMAAKI 3rd Generation (Kataoka Toshio) 常滑53.5cm Oval Unglazed
Product Details:
Region: Tokoname 常滑市
Kiln: Yamaaki Kiln 山秋窯
Potter: 3rd Generation Yamaaki – Kataoka Toshio 片岡俊夫
Description:
A vintage, hand-crafted bonsai pot (bonsai-bachi 盆栽鉢) from the celebrated Yamaaki kiln in Tokoname. This large oval form (nagamaru-gata 長丸形) is made from fine-grained shudei (朱泥) clay, displaying a soft dark-brown tone that has matured with a subtle patina (kasei 化成) over the decades.
The pot features a gently rounded lip (fuchi 縁), slightly tapering walls, and integrated feet (wari-ashi 割足) that flow naturally from the body—hallmarks of the Yamaaki aesthetic, balancing strength and refinement. The unglazed surface reveals the potter’s craftsmanship, with faint tool marks and a smooth matte finish enhancing its earthy character.
The underside bears the impressed Yamaaki mark (山秋) and displays a well-structured base with three drainage holes (suiana 水穴) and four wiring holes (kusari-ana 針金穴), ensuring excellent function for both pine and deciduous bonsai.
External Dimensions: 53.5 x 45.2 x 11.5cm
Internal Dimensions: 48.4 x 40.3 x 9.6cm
Condition: Good, NOTE: that it has some darker stains that I am unable to remove with a gentle cloth and water.
Also, some chips on the inner corners of the legs, I cannot notice them from the outside, to me it is kind of normal for a pot of this size to be grazed now and again while moving my trees. Because of these minor defects, I have reduced!
Yamaaki, 3rd Generation Potter Katakoa Toshio. The kiln was started by Kataoka Akitsuga and fired by three generations of potters, until it finally went 'cold' in 2011. It was the most productive bonsai pot kiln in Tokoname, fired with gas, which gives those fantastic clay colours mimicking the pots of ancient China. There are a lot of production Yamaaki pots available; those with nail-carved signatures were hand-made by the Kataoka family, and consequently, are more valuable.
