Tray vessel with geometric pattern and white phoenix glaze

This bonsai pot is made by 15 members of the Seiyo-kai, a ceramics community in Kyoto that has been in existence for about 100 years. These bonsai pots feature beautiful paintings created by a 93-year-old veteran potter. It is simple and casually enhances the charm of the bonsai. Please enjoy the handiwork of a well-known craftsman who has devoted himself to ceramics for a living.

Width：17.5cm
Depth：15.5cm
Height：8cm
Weight：682g

Clay

JUSEN ARAI

ARTISAN STORY

Kazuo Arai / Jusen Arai

ACHIEVEMENTS

・Received the Governor's Award at the Kyo Ware and Kiyomizu Ware Exhibition
・Received the Kyoto Prefecture Traditional Industry Excellent Technician Award
・Certified as a Traditional Craftsman

KYO WARE & KIYOMIZU WARE

About 1,200 years ago / 800s / Heian Period (794–1185)

Kyoto ceramics reach back to kilns operating before and during the Heian period, then expanded with tea culture in the Muromachi and Momoyama eras. In the seventeenth century, Nonomura Ninsei perfected brilliant overglaze decoration, followed by innovators such as Ogata Kenzan, Okuda Eisen and Aoki Mokubei, whose diverse approaches shaped today’s Kyo and Kiyomizu ware.

In Japan, these ceramics are famous precisely because there is no single fixed style. Tea bowls, kaiseki dishes and everyday tableware may use overglaze painting, blue-and-white decoration, gold, sancai-inspired color and many other techniques. The craft sits at the heart of Kyoto’s culture of pairing vessels with cuisine and tea.

The surprising point is that Kyoto was never defined by a single major clay deposit. Potters drew on materials such as Amakusa porcelain stone, techniques arriving from other regions, and the tastes of artists and patrons gathered in the capital. Freedom from one local material helped make Kyoto ceramics unusually hybrid and stylistically diverse.

Individual Differences

As each piece is individually handcrafted, slight variations in color, pattern, shape, and texture may occur. These subtle differences are a natural characteristic of handcrafted works, making each piece truly unique. We hope you will enjoy these individual variations as part of the beauty and character of Japanese craftsmanship.

Production Time

If an item is not currently in stock, it may be made to order by the artisan. As each piece is carefully handcrafted, production may take several months depending on the item and the artisan's schedule. We appreciate your patience and understanding.