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Collector’s Guide Vol. 4: Hagi and Contemporary Chawan, Lustre Glazes, and Arita & Kyō-yaki Porcelain
Collector’s Guide, Volume 4 | Sabiru Treasures — Tsukuba, Japan
When we pick up a tea bowl (chawan) or a small porcelain vessel, two kinds of decisions meet in the hand: the way clay was shaped on the wheel or in a mould, and the way glaze responded to heat and atmosphere inside the kiln. Looking closely at the rim, the interior well (mikomi), and the unglazed foot ring (kōdai) reveals whether a potter worked toward quiet translucency, fluid polychrome movement, or crisp architectural facets.
In this fourth volume of the Sabiru Treasures Collector’s Guide, we examine nine currently offered works spanning Hagi stoneware, contemporary studio chawan and lustre dishes, numbered Imaemon Kiln porcelain from Arita, and miniature kamifūsen (paper-balloon) porcelain vessels.
1. Hagi Stoneware and Contemporary Studio Chawan: Reading Rim, Wall, and Kōdai
Hagi ware from Yamaguchi Prefecture has long been prized in the Japanese tea tradition for its absorbent clay body and soft glaze surfaces that deepen subtly over time. Contemporary studio potters approach the chawan as both a functional vessel and a canvas for glaze chemistry—ranging from radiating copper-cobalt blues to pale celadon and layered abstract polychrome slips.
Yamane Seigan — Hagi Ware “Kujaku” (Peacock) Chawan in Seigan Blue: Radiating blue-green glaze streams across a warm Hagi stoneware body, pooling in the interior well while leaving the carved foot ring exposed for clay observation. View Lot 107790502 on Catawiki ↗
Ryūji Hodaka — Contemporary Chawan Tea Bowl with Abstract Polychrome Glaze: Expressive multi-layered glaze movement over a hand-formed tea bowl silhouette with tactile throwing rings. View Lot 107702018 on Catawiki ↗
Sakamoto Arata — Japanese Tea Bowl in Pale Celadon Blue Glaze: A quiet, luminous pale blue-celadon surface where subtle pooling along the hip and foot highlights the vessel’s balanced proportions. View Lot 107702024 on Catawiki ↗
Sakamoto Arata — Iridescent Lustre Glaze Dish: A companion shallow form demonstrating how metallic lustre overglaze shifts between gold, violet, and blue as the viewing angle changes. View Lot 107880439 on Catawiki ↗
2. Arita Porcelain: Numbered Imaemon Kiln Editions and Colour-Glaze Contrasts
In Arita (Saga Prefecture), porcelain production encompasses both historically rooted overglaze enamel workshops—such as the Imaemon kiln associated with the Iro-Nabeshima tradition—and modern studio potters experimenting with faceted bodies and bold red-and-blue glaze contrasts.
Imaemon Kiln — Wisteria Year Plate 2009 (Numbered 107/200): Fine white porcelain plate decorated with flowing wisteria clusters and clean foot-ring marks, numbered 107 of 200 on the reverse. View Lot 107880075 on Catawiki ↗
Taishō Maeda — Arita Porcelain Vase with Red and Blue Glaze (23.5 cm): A poised ovoid porcelain form where rich cobalt blue meets warm copper-red glaze over a luminous white body. View Lot 107803131 on Catawiki ↗
Bunga Yamamoto — Arita Porcelain Faceted Mug in Pale Blue-White Glaze (250 ml): Crisp vertical faceting (mentori) catches pale blue-white glaze along each carved ridge, showing how studio porcelain brings sculptural rhythm to everyday table forms. View Lot 107799803 on Catawiki ↗
3. Paper-Balloon (Kamifūsen) Motifs in Kyō-yaki and Porcelain
The segmented paper balloon (kamifūsen) is a beloved motif in Japanese craft, translating the lightness of folded paper into permanent ceramic form through delicate seam lines and polychrome enamel segments.
Kitamura Gakō (北村雅耕) — Kyō-yaki Ceramic Paper-Balloon Incense Container (Kōgō): A finely fitted Kyō-yaki kōgō replicating the inflated panels of a traditional paper balloon, complete with cleanly finished lid-to-base seating. View Lot 108007244 on Catawiki ↗
Matsui Takashi (松井孝) — Kamifūsen Paper-Balloon Porcelain Bud Vase (7.5 cm): A miniature porcelain ichirin-zashi bud vase that captures the gentle crease and panel geometry of a paper balloon at desk scale. View Lot 107799820 on Catawiki ↗
4. Care and Observation Notes
When examining or displaying glazed stoneware and overglaze porcelain, avoid abrasive cleaning pads on metallic lustre, gold enamel, or fine crackle networks. Hold vessels low over a padded surface when inspecting the base mark and foot ring, and consult our Past Treasures Archive, Collector’s Inquiry page, or Sabiru Treasures on Catawiki for current active lots.
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