Yoshimura Shuho 吉村秀峰 – Tokoname 常滑 – 46.8cm Oval 楕円形 – Glazed 施釉

Product Details / 商品詳細:

Region / 産地: Tokoname 常滑市, Aichi Prefecture 愛知県
Kiln / 窯元: Yoshimura
Potter / 陶工: Yoshimura Shuho 吉村秀峰 – Pre-Shuho period

Description / 説明:

A vintage artisan-made Japanese bonsai pot attributed to Yoshimura Shuho 吉村秀峰, dating from his pre-Shuho period, before the establishment and use of the Shuho name. This is a substantial but remarkably shallow oval form (楕円形), measuring 46.8cm across, with a soft ivory to light cream glaze 白釉・乳白釉 that gives the pot a restrained and elegant appearance.

The body is particularly attractive and has a pronounced bag-style or fukuro-gata profile (袋形). Rather than having straight walls, the sides swell gently outwards beneath the rim before curving back underneath towards the base. This rounded volume gives the shallow pot considerably more visual presence than its 5.8cm overall height might initially suggest.

A clearly defined projecting lip (口縁) follows the entire oval perimeter. Immediately beneath it, the body rolls smoothly outwards into the rounded bag-form profile, creating a simple but very effective transition from the thin upper edge into the fuller body. There are no unnecessary decorative bands; the character of the pot comes from its proportions, curvature and glaze.

The light cream-grey glaze has subtle tonal variation throughout, with small natural iron spotting and firing variation 窯変 (yohen) visible across the surface. Areas of warmer grey, cream and slightly greenish tones give the glaze considerable depth, while evidence of age and cultivation contributes an attractive keinen no fuai (経年の風合い). The overall effect is understated and very Japanese, allowing the pot to complement a tree rather than compete with it.

The pot stands on four distinctive cloud-shaped recessed feet (雲形足 / kumogata-ashi). Each foot is individually formed with the softly curved, undulating profile associated with a stylised cloud motif (雲形), while being set discreetly beneath the body. Their recessed positioning keeps the broad, shallow silhouette visually light, and the cloud-shaped modelling introduces a subtle decorative element beneath the otherwise restrained bag-form body.

The underside clearly demonstrates the construction of these four recessed cloud-shaped feet (雲形足 / kumogata-ashi), which follow the curvature of the oval body. At the centre of the base is a distinctive rectangular drainage hole (長方形排水穴), accompanied by four smaller drain/wiring holes (排水・針金穴) positioned around the base. This practical arrangement provides both drainage and secure anchoring of the root mass.

A small impressed potter's mark 落款 (rakkan) is also present on the underside.

With an internal depth of only 3.3cm and an exceptionally broad planting area, this is a particularly elegant shallow container. The combination of its expansive oval proportions, softly swollen fukuro-gata 袋形 body, pronounced lip 口縁, recessed kumogata-ashi 雲形足, and subdued cream glaze gives the pot a strong sense of chowa (調和) – visual harmony and balance.

External dimensions / 外寸: 46.8 × 35.0 × 5.8cm
Internal dimensions / 内寸: 43.0 × 31.1 × 3.3cm

Condition / 状態: Excellent! 非常に良好

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Collector's Note / コレクターズノート:

The interest of this example lies not simply in its size, but in its attribution to Yoshimura Shuho 吉村秀峰 from the period before the familiar Shuho identity became established. For collectors, an earlier work can provide an interesting view of the development of a potter's forms, construction and aesthetic vocabulary.

This example is particularly appealing because of its unusually broad and shallow proportions. At 46.8cm wide but only 5.8cm high, the pot has a distinctly low and elegant profile, yet the swelling fukuro-gata (袋形) body prevents it from appearing visually thin. The four recessed cloud-shaped feet (雲形足 / kumogata-ashi) are an especially attractive feature. Their sculpted cloud profile adds an understated traditional Japanese detail, while their recessed placement allows them to remain discreet beneath the broad, shallow body when the pot is viewed at display height.

The subdued cream-white glaze (乳白釉) has also matured attractively, showing natural tonal variation and the quiet surface character associated with age and use. Combined with the early impressed mark on the underside, the unusual rectangular central drainage opening and its four surrounding drain/wiring holes, these details give the pot considerable character as both a functional bonsai container and a collectable piece of Japanese bonsai pottery.