I had some basic knowledge of Japanese teaware before, but a recent two week trip to Japan has really given me a deep interest and appreciation for the beautiful handmade artistry that goes into Japanese pottery.I know of Artistic Nippon, Rishi, Rikyu, and O-Cha, but am I missing any other really good online vendors of Japanese teaware? Out of these, Artistic Nippon is my favorite because a) they have a broad selection of different wares from different kilns and prefectures, and they give information about the history of the different wares, b) they feature information about the different artists who create the works, c) they have lots of products spanning different price ranges, and d) they get new stuff and update their site with the new products often. In particular, I am most interested in shops with good selections of handmade kyusu, yunomi, and chawan.
If you know of any similar shops, or individual artist's websites, please let me know. I have done a few searches, which is how I learned about the stores I already mentioned, but I thought I may have missed some hidden gems. Also, any links to great informational sites would be greatly appreciated too. This site is connected to the Japan Traditional Craft Center I visited in Ikebukuro, and has tons of great info. Their shop had so many wonderful pieces. If only they would make an online store!
It's killing me that I was just there in Japan, and now it's after I'm home that I'm doing all this research and really learning about the pottery.
But then again, it was actually seeing lots of this amazing work first-hand that got my interest peaked. And, had I known a lot about it before hand, I'm sure I would have spent WAY to much money while I was there. Thanks in advance for sharing your favorite links!
