Recently in Q&A Category

---> available items



Dear Sir,
Is it possible in the future to be able to click and enlarge all pictures in your Gallery and not only some of them,  in the same way as your e-bay pictures?
Perhaps enlargements take to much data memory for you?
Yours,

****** in Sweden

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Dear ******,
 
Thank you for inquiry.
Actually, the most items of Gallery page are already sold, and the only latest one have enlargements.
So, please click on the upper words of "click HERE for available items" (http://hotoke-antiques.com/pg123.html) of Gallery page, then you can select the items as checking on enlargements.
And, if you want to see much larger picture, please let me know what items you want, and will back to you as much as possible.
Arigatogozaimasu.
 
Sincerely,
 
Dai Okumura
http://hotoke-antiques.com

---> DESCRIPTION



I have purchased a number of items from you over the past couple of years.  I am a modest mingei collector living in ******.  Because I collect across the whole range of mingei objects (wood, metal, textile, ceramics, etc), I do not want to purchase too many ceramics although I love them.  I especially like the oil plates and thus want at least one or two good examples.  I am drawn to the Shino Oribe Oil Plate Abura Andon that you have at auction but the major crack concerns me if I am only to have one or two oil plates in my collection.  Could you comment on what you think this major crack does to the piece in terms of its ARTISTIC value.  Also, with mingei...at least to my thinking --- signatures are not desirable...so why would a piece this old have a signature on it.  Thank you very much.

******

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Dear sir,

Thank you very much for your inquiry and your purchase in those days.
As the first and as the result, I would say that Shino-Oribe oil plate is collectible mingei art piece as recommended with confidence specially if you are looking for rare and unique one for this type.
Even though considering about its damage of "scenic crack" and repair, its artistic existence and its scarcity value would enoughly cover over "The Fault" in my opinion.
And, this kind of ink-writing signature at backside does not refer to the name of certain "artist" basically, and it is often seen at the similar old mingei potteries that are actually used for public eating place or inn at that time, as like store name or trade name, etc.
I'll be glad if it helps you. Arigatogozaimasu.

Sincerely,

Dai Okumura
http://hotoke-antiques.com

...... The answer is yes as the most of them, though I also definitely agree with your opinion about that ......
So, our small shop is totally different from such a shop more like "Big factory" which is regularly dumping hundreds of mass domestic remainders on the assembly line a month in eBay, as hope you know what I mean. ......


http://hotoke-antiques.com

Yamajawan

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Dear Dai-san,

...... I'm very happy and proud to have bought this bowl, it is from same period as master Eihei Dogen! Its shape seems a sperm whale so I nickname 'cachalot' (sperm whale in french.) ......
...... I would like to ask you a question: What kind of tea was drunk in the 12-13 th century?
I think it was matcha but matcha was an expensive drink for wealthy people, use for medecine or by monks in meditation periode, isn't it? Usually people used to drink loose leaves tea since 18 th century.
So it is a mystery for me.

Merci beaucoup!

Please have a nice day,

*******

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Dear ******* san,
 
Thank you for waiting.
......
...... For your question; accoding to another historic theory, the people at that time had drunk native tea that grows naturally in interior of mountainous district in Japan, called "San-cha" (lit. "Mountain-tea"), though imported tea by Eisai is considered to be the roots of Japanese tea as more weighty theory. Originally, yamajawan (specially, bowl size and bowl shape) was the practical domestic ware for rice and cereals, and had been applied to be used as "tea bowl" by connoisseurs in more and more later years like modern era.
Yes, this is also the conceptional beauty of application, - "Mitate".
 
Arigatogozaimasu.
 
Have a wonderful day!
 
 
Dai Okumura
http://hotoke-antiques.com