Page 24 - BSAM 2018 Q2

Top; Figure 1 – Late Edo Period, Saikō-Kutani Yaki,
Akaji Kinrande gold over red glaze in Eiraku style, from the former Kaga Province, from 1804 onwards. Round drained pot with hand drawn servant presenting food, 22cm wide x 17cm high, in a very rare pair, one shown here.
By Bradley Barlow, Australia Photos by Bradley Barlow
While a small number of people outside of Japan in the 21st century know the specific Japanese bonsai potting styles from the 17th to the early 20th century, even fewer
know the history of the sensational and surprising pots used during that time. Far fewer have ever seen authentic examples in context, let alone experienced the ultimate pleasure of owning any of these elusive antique pots that belong to a lost period of Japanese bonsai. (Figure 1)
Feudal Japanese during the Edo Period (1603-1868), under the supreme reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate
and the dominant ruling landlords or daimyo, had a very distinctive manner for planting, displaying and appreciating early bonsai trees. While bonsai trees of the time were more likely limited to the ruling and wealthy classes, much of the antique ceramic remnants of this period are critically limited and scarcely seen in the modern era of bonsai and, even more, especially outside of Japan. (Figure 2 )
However, for enthusiasts of classical Japanese bonsai in the 21st century, surely an understanding and awareness of the unique history of potting bonsai trees in Japan should be a mandatory quest. Unfortunately, for those who cannot read Japanese, access to factual
22 | BCI | April/May/June 2018
A New View on Old Pots