What is this? (help identifying japanese teaware)

[exquisite]

Bought on local ebay, it was listed as a sake set, advertised as from the 80s and unused. Indeed does not seem to be used, but I have no clue about its age or potter(y). Would really appreciate a native japanese speaker´s help in identifying it. I tried to guess but I might be awfully wrong.

Thanks.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1127222746 ... LT00rbQBg#

[David R.]

I can't help you with the reading, but it is a beautiful (bizen-yaki) set. Congrats.

[JBaymore]

Sorry..... can't read the calligraphy there. There is definately what looks like the Kanji for "yama" (mountain) on one photo I looked at on the stamp.

However the finishing process used on the work looks like it was youhen charcoal on an iron rich clay. This finishing process is highly typical of Bizen, but many potters use this these days (and even from the 80s). Likely it is wood fired too, but he youhen process can be done in a gas kiln too. The youhen effects make it a bit hard to tell for sure if it was also wood fired. From some of the surfaces, I THINK it is... but can't be sure.

Hope this helps. Hopefully Robert will chime in here soon on the Nihongo.

best,

...............john

[JBaymore]

David and I posted at the same moment there.

[exquisite]

Thanks, I also suspected it was a Bizen yaki production, due to the colors and shaping, somehow pretty similar for example to ones listed on AN site. Can´t make any further assumptions, as it was pretty cheap, but the guy that sold it to me had no idea about green tea, so.... it was just luck.
I´ll post better macro pics of the stamps tomorrow.

[Chip]

As John alluded to, there are a lot of "Bizen" wannabes out there, they are clearly attempting to mimic Bizen. Whether or not this is truly Bizen, who knows, but it is nice yohen (youhen).

According to Mago, there are a lot of so called Bizen being sold even in Japan, to the point where he now states on his ebay, "real Bizen." Real Bizen when new is pretty pricey, on the after-market, there is a lot of "Bizen" being sold pretty cheap on ebay sites like Katsuragi.

Lastly, AN also sells Tanba new which is much less than Bizen, but certainly resembles it.

Regardless, hope it brews up a great cup! And hopefully it is Bizen, but even if it is not, it is a great set!

[David R.]

Speaking of Mago, I don't know if you are a client or not, but you could always send him your pictures even if you didn't buy it to him. I did it once for a chawan and I was amazed by the quantity of details he ended up giving to me, even price range.

[MarshalN]

Is the wood box compartmentalized? I don't think the box has anything to do with the set, given what it says (some sort of dish).

[JBaymore]

Yeah Marshall, I caught the kanji for "dish" or "plate" on there too...... but thought I was likely misreading the calligraphy........ it is one of the three kanji used for my last name on my hanko. I was doing the 'assume" thing when I looked at it.... that the box was THE box for the pieces. Great point.

best,

.................john

[MarshalN]

Yeah, more specifically the dish is drawn with some figures or some such -- clearly not what's going on here. The name of the kiln on the box also doesn't match up with the name stamped on the hobin.

Doesn't mean it's not a nice piece, just that the box is not useful in helping to ID the pieces.

[exquisite]

Many thanks for your comments.
The box is not compartmentalized, it is a normal box, usually the "standard"
form/dimension for a chawan or kuysu containing box. The wood looks pretty old and the lid of the box a little deformed because of the dry climate. It actually looks like a box that deposited in a drawer for 10-20 years, it had the dust and all the looks of an old forgotten useless thing. It would seem quite strange not to be its original box, the guy that sold it to me told me he received it as a gift (sake set) and never used it but for decoration.
I posted a few more detailed pics of the stamps on the yuzamashi and houhin´s bottom:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1127222746 ... xLT00rbQBg#
Thanks again!

[MarshalN]

I'm 100% sure this is not the original box. Especially so if it's not compartmentalized -- you'd never get a box with no compartments for a set with 7 different pieces.