A tea bowl from the Utsutsu-gawa-yaki tradition of Nagasaki, made by Yokoishi Gagyu.
On a deep brown crackled ground, a white heron stands in silence — inlaid against the dark brushwork texture with a precision that asks nothing of the viewer. Utsutsu-gawa-yaki is one of Japan's singular regional wares: its crackled dark body and fine inlay work emerged from Nagasaki's history as a window between Japan and the outside world, absorbing Korean and Chinese ceramic sensibilities into something wholly its own.
Yokoishi Gagyu worked within that tradition with authority. The heron motif here is not decorative in the conventional sense — it is placed, the way a calligrapher places a single character.
The throwing is controlled, the form grounded. The crackle glaze reads differently in different light: muted in overcast conditions, quietly alive under direct sun. Comes with the artist's signed wooden box.
Dimensions: diameter 11.5 cm, height 6.5 cm Condition: Very good Box: Signed wooden box (tomobako) included
🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ] • Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days • Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking) • Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials
