Bonsai Pots: Signed or Stamped Pots by Japanese Makers/Artists

Listed alphabetically by Roman transliteration of the Japanese name.

Haruyoshi. Rounded Rectangle. December 2017. $80 on the FaceBook Auction page, from Garrett Ryan. I bought this one because I was looking for a nice dark green rectangle for the shohin Hackberry. This pot might be a little shallow, but I don’t think so. The shape, glaze, and — especially — the feet all grab me. About 6 1/8″ x 4 7/8″ x 1 1/2″. Two drainage holes, no tie-downs.

Kouzan. Oval. This one appears to be a carved oval, not a turned and warped round. Interesting marks on the interior surface of the sides make me think that, but I don’t really know. I bought this one from Ryan Bell in April 2016, if I remember correctly, $110.00. Exterior dimensions: About 5 15/16″ x 4 3/4″ x 1 1/16″. Two drainage holes, no tie-down holes.

Tosui. Rectangle This one is just too cute for words. A production pot that was stamped in ink, but not even worth having the Tosui chop on the bottom. Tiny little thing. Outside dimensions: 3 11/16″ x 2 11/16″ x1 3/16″ Two drainage holes that take up a good percentage of the bottom of the pot.

Yamaaki. Oval Unfortunately, I have no memory of when I got this pot or how much it cost, but I can be pretty sure I bought it on one of the Facebook auction pages. It’s just a production pot, nothing fancy or handmade in any special way, but it was marked with their chop. It’s also quite small. 🙂 I had a tiny little boxwood in it at one time, and trying to keep it watered must explain the calcium deposits you see in the photos.

Yozan-Eime. Round. I don’t know the right descriptive term for this pot’s silhouette, but I’m pretty sure there is one! I love the glaze, and the shape is really appealing. I’d really like to understand the two names better. I think Eime is the name of the particular artist, and Yozan is the company that produced the pot. It’s a “production” pot, I know, so there are lots of them floating around out there. Exterior dimensions: About 6″ x 6″ x 2 1/2″ Round. One drainage hole, two tie-down holes. March 2018. I put the little Chinese Hackberry in it. I like the glaze and the way it matches the trunk, and the shape mirrors the apex of the tree. Or, it will once I let it get its spring growth and prune it a little.