Sakai Hoju / Sakai Yoshiki (b. 1950) – Kasama Ware Blue-Glazed Water Dropper / Bud Vase (Seiyu - Ceramic - Sakai Hoju / Sakai Yoshiki (b. 1950) - Japan - Shōwa period (1926-1989)
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Sakai Hoju (Sakai Yoshiki, b. 1950) creates a wheel‑thrown Kasama stoneware blue‑glazed water dropper of 9.5 cm height and 7.5 cm width, signed and dated with its tomobako, originating from Kasama, Japan, in excellent condition and authentic as originals.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
– Created by Sakai Hoju (Sakai Yoshiki, b. 1950), Full Member of the Japan Kogei Association (elected 1986), at his kiln Itsuki Tobo (樹陶房) in Tegoe, Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
– Wheel-thrown Kasama stoneware water dropper or single-stem bud vase (H 9.5 cm, W 7.5 cm, 131.2 g) with a globular body, narrow collared neck, and angled side spout, dressed in a speckled cobalt-and-indigo blue glaze (seiyu).
– Impressed potter's mark on the underside, accompanied by its signed and sealed paulownia tomobako inscribed "Suiteki" (水滴) and "Hoju" (芳樹), artist biography sheet (toreki), and Kasama-yaki leaflet.
Summary:
A wheel-thrown Kasama ware (Kasama-yaki) blue-glazed water dropper (suiteki)—equally suited as a tabletop bud vase (ichirin-zashi)—by Sakai Hoju (Sakai Yoshiki, b. 1950), Full Member of the Japan Kogei Association. Standing 9.5 cm tall and 7.5 cm wide across its tilted side spout, the vessel combines a rounded silhouette with a layered cobalt-blue glaze flecked with fine mineral speckles and warm grey-buff breaking along the rims. Accompanied by its signed paulownia tomobako and kiln leaflets, it exemplifies studio ceramics from Kasama in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Form, Proportions, and Blue Glaze (Seiyu)
Standing 9.5 cm tall with a width of 7.5 cm across the spout (body Ø 7.3 cm, weight 131.2 g), the vessel has the balanced presence of a scholar's desk water dropper and single-stem vase:
- Across the four profile views, the wheel-thrown stoneware body swells from a circular foot into a generous, low-bellied globe before drawing inward to a slender waist and an upright, flaring mouth rim (Ø 1.0 cm), balanced by an angled tubular spout rising from the upper shoulder.
- Subtle horizontal throwing rings beneath the glaze trace the upward pull of the potter's fingers on the wheel.
- The exterior is enveloped in a luminous blue glaze (seiyu) ranging from deep slate-indigo and twilight cobalt to softer sky-blue where the glaze gathers around the neck collar and shoulder joint.
- Finely dispersed mineral particulates within the glaze create a starry speckling across the surface, while along the rims of the mouth and spout the glaze thins slightly to reveal a warm grey-buff line of the underlying Kasama clay.
The Base and Impressed Potter's Mark
Turned over, the vessel stands on an unglazed circular stoneware foot ring (Ø 3.6 cm) showing the fine-grained, warm grey-buff texture of fired Kasama clay. Set near the edge of the glazed underside inside the foot ring is Sakai Hoju's impressed oval potter's mark.
Sakai Hoju (b. 1950), Itsuki Tobo, and the Kasama Ware Tradition
Kasama in Ibaraki Prefecture—highlighted on the regional map—traces its ceramic tradition to the An'ei era (1772–1781), when Kuno Han'emon at Hakoda invited a potter from Shigaraki to build a climbing kiln using local iron-bearing clay.
Born in 1950 in Iwase, Ibaraki Prefecture, Sakai Hoju (Sakai Yoshiki) began his ceramic career in 1970, established his independent kiln in 1975, and moved his workshop—Itsuki Tobo (樹陶房)—to Tegoe, Kasama City in November 1982. Selected for the Traditional Crafts New Works Exhibition (from 1978), the 28th, 29th, 30th, and 33rd Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibitions, and the 8th (1985) and 9th (1987) Japan Ceramic Art Exhibitions, he received the Encouragement Prize (1985), Kaiyu Prize (1990), and Hazan Prize (2003) at the Ibaraki Prefectural Art Festival, and was elected a Full Member of the Japan Kogei Association in 1986.
In the Study, Tea Room, and Contemporary Interior
On a scholar's desk beside an inkstone or in a tokonoma alcove holding a single camellia bud, the speckled indigo vessel brings quiet composure; on bleached oak or walnut in a European interior, its sculptural neck-and-spout silhouette stands out as an intimate studio accent. One can imagine – and it is only imagined – the cool autumn air in the hills of Tegoe in Kasama as the kiln door is unbricked, and the potter lifting this small blue vessel to feel its cool, speckled glaze in the palm.
Accompanying Items and Details
- Signed paulownia wood box (tomobako) inscribed "Suiteki" (水滴) and signed "Hoju" (芳樹) with red seal "Sakai Hoju" (酒井芳樹) and green sanada-himo cord, plus two printed leaflets: artist biography sheet (toreki, 陶歴) and Kasama-yaki history sheet.
- Dimensions: H 9.5 × W 7.5 cm (body Ø 7.3 cm); Weight: 131.2 g. Condition: Excellent, undamaged.
A little more of this vessel's story awaits its new owner.
This listing contains AI Visualisations. Please refer to the original photographs for the actual object condition.
Shipping & Handling
Shipped from Japan, carefully packed to protect the vessel, with tracking provided.
We guarantee this piece is as described.
Seller's Story
Hello, and thank you for visiting my page. I primarily handle Japanese antiques, as well as Western antiques, art pieces, and pre-loved items that have been cherished in Japan. Growing up in a family of historians—my grandfather was a historian and my father was an archaeologist—I have always been captivated by the eras and stories these historic objects and works of art carry with them.
My listings feature collections from both Japan and the West, pieces that have stood the test of time and remained beloved through the ages. Through these rare treasures, I hope to share with you the delight of ownership and discovery. As a professional, I strive for honest and sincere transactions to ensure customer satisfaction, always leveraging my experience and eye for quality.
I strongly believe in not letting buyers down, so I describe items as accurately and thoroughly as possible, prioritizing secure and careful packaging. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. It would be my pleasure to help enrich your collecting experience.
Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to doing business with you.
– Created by Sakai Hoju (Sakai Yoshiki, b. 1950), Full Member of the Japan Kogei Association (elected 1986), at his kiln Itsuki Tobo (樹陶房) in Tegoe, Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
– Wheel-thrown Kasama stoneware water dropper or single-stem bud vase (H 9.5 cm, W 7.5 cm, 131.2 g) with a globular body, narrow collared neck, and angled side spout, dressed in a speckled cobalt-and-indigo blue glaze (seiyu).
– Impressed potter's mark on the underside, accompanied by its signed and sealed paulownia tomobako inscribed "Suiteki" (水滴) and "Hoju" (芳樹), artist biography sheet (toreki), and Kasama-yaki leaflet.
Summary:
A wheel-thrown Kasama ware (Kasama-yaki) blue-glazed water dropper (suiteki)—equally suited as a tabletop bud vase (ichirin-zashi)—by Sakai Hoju (Sakai Yoshiki, b. 1950), Full Member of the Japan Kogei Association. Standing 9.5 cm tall and 7.5 cm wide across its tilted side spout, the vessel combines a rounded silhouette with a layered cobalt-blue glaze flecked with fine mineral speckles and warm grey-buff breaking along the rims. Accompanied by its signed paulownia tomobako and kiln leaflets, it exemplifies studio ceramics from Kasama in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Form, Proportions, and Blue Glaze (Seiyu)
Standing 9.5 cm tall with a width of 7.5 cm across the spout (body Ø 7.3 cm, weight 131.2 g), the vessel has the balanced presence of a scholar's desk water dropper and single-stem vase:
- Across the four profile views, the wheel-thrown stoneware body swells from a circular foot into a generous, low-bellied globe before drawing inward to a slender waist and an upright, flaring mouth rim (Ø 1.0 cm), balanced by an angled tubular spout rising from the upper shoulder.
- Subtle horizontal throwing rings beneath the glaze trace the upward pull of the potter's fingers on the wheel.
- The exterior is enveloped in a luminous blue glaze (seiyu) ranging from deep slate-indigo and twilight cobalt to softer sky-blue where the glaze gathers around the neck collar and shoulder joint.
- Finely dispersed mineral particulates within the glaze create a starry speckling across the surface, while along the rims of the mouth and spout the glaze thins slightly to reveal a warm grey-buff line of the underlying Kasama clay.
The Base and Impressed Potter's Mark
Turned over, the vessel stands on an unglazed circular stoneware foot ring (Ø 3.6 cm) showing the fine-grained, warm grey-buff texture of fired Kasama clay. Set near the edge of the glazed underside inside the foot ring is Sakai Hoju's impressed oval potter's mark.
Sakai Hoju (b. 1950), Itsuki Tobo, and the Kasama Ware Tradition
Kasama in Ibaraki Prefecture—highlighted on the regional map—traces its ceramic tradition to the An'ei era (1772–1781), when Kuno Han'emon at Hakoda invited a potter from Shigaraki to build a climbing kiln using local iron-bearing clay.
Born in 1950 in Iwase, Ibaraki Prefecture, Sakai Hoju (Sakai Yoshiki) began his ceramic career in 1970, established his independent kiln in 1975, and moved his workshop—Itsuki Tobo (樹陶房)—to Tegoe, Kasama City in November 1982. Selected for the Traditional Crafts New Works Exhibition (from 1978), the 28th, 29th, 30th, and 33rd Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibitions, and the 8th (1985) and 9th (1987) Japan Ceramic Art Exhibitions, he received the Encouragement Prize (1985), Kaiyu Prize (1990), and Hazan Prize (2003) at the Ibaraki Prefectural Art Festival, and was elected a Full Member of the Japan Kogei Association in 1986.
In the Study, Tea Room, and Contemporary Interior
On a scholar's desk beside an inkstone or in a tokonoma alcove holding a single camellia bud, the speckled indigo vessel brings quiet composure; on bleached oak or walnut in a European interior, its sculptural neck-and-spout silhouette stands out as an intimate studio accent. One can imagine – and it is only imagined – the cool autumn air in the hills of Tegoe in Kasama as the kiln door is unbricked, and the potter lifting this small blue vessel to feel its cool, speckled glaze in the palm.
Accompanying Items and Details
- Signed paulownia wood box (tomobako) inscribed "Suiteki" (水滴) and signed "Hoju" (芳樹) with red seal "Sakai Hoju" (酒井芳樹) and green sanada-himo cord, plus two printed leaflets: artist biography sheet (toreki, 陶歴) and Kasama-yaki history sheet.
- Dimensions: H 9.5 × W 7.5 cm (body Ø 7.3 cm); Weight: 131.2 g. Condition: Excellent, undamaged.
A little more of this vessel's story awaits its new owner.
This listing contains AI Visualisations. Please refer to the original photographs for the actual object condition.
Shipping & Handling
Shipped from Japan, carefully packed to protect the vessel, with tracking provided.
We guarantee this piece is as described.
Seller's Story
Hello, and thank you for visiting my page. I primarily handle Japanese antiques, as well as Western antiques, art pieces, and pre-loved items that have been cherished in Japan. Growing up in a family of historians—my grandfather was a historian and my father was an archaeologist—I have always been captivated by the eras and stories these historic objects and works of art carry with them.
My listings feature collections from both Japan and the West, pieces that have stood the test of time and remained beloved through the ages. Through these rare treasures, I hope to share with you the delight of ownership and discovery. As a professional, I strive for honest and sincere transactions to ensure customer satisfaction, always leveraging my experience and eye for quality.
I strongly believe in not letting buyers down, so I describe items as accurately and thoroughly as possible, prioritizing secure and careful packaging. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. It would be my pleasure to help enrich your collecting experience.
Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to doing business with you.
Details
Dynastic Style/Period
Shōwa period (1926-1989)
Number of objects
1
Artist
Sakai Hoju / Sakai Yoshiki (b. 1950)
Country of Origin
Japan
Material
Ceramic
Height
9.5 cm
Width
7.5 cm
Title of artwork
Sakai Hoju / Sakai Yoshiki (b. 1950) – Kasama Ware Blue-Glazed Water Dropper / Bud Vase (Seiyu
Condition
Excellent condition
Authenticity
Original/official
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