OK, Toru san dug out an old teapot for me from his warehouse. He said it was a Banko pot that had been there for
decades, but was in new condition, did I want to buy it -- I think I had asked about small pots. OK, I got the pot and it is very nice, but what I am wondering is what
Banko means and how he could tell that this pot is Banko. I found on Wikipedia that there is a style of Japanese pottery called
Yokkaichi-Banko-yaki that is produced in Mie, but that was about it. When I google
Banko, I find all kinds of ugly antique stuff.
Can anyone enlighten me about Banko and why this pot is Banko and how Banko differs from, say, Tokoname, Kutani, Hagi, or any of the hundreds of other Japanese ceramic styles.
The one I got is the white one on the left. The other one is probably still gathering dust in Toru's warehouse.
