An authentic early 20th-century Japanese folk-art porcelain bowl, hand-painted with an energetic spiny lobster design. Features rare wheel-thrown potter's tool marks on the reverse and a fully signed artisan base.
The Design & Heritage
Dating to the late Meiji to Taisho era (circa 1910–1930s), this robust porcelain bowl is a magnificent testament to regional Japanese Mingei (folk craft) pottery. The interior well features a powerful, masterfully executed underglaze cobalt blue painting of an Ise-ebi (spiny lobster)—a traditional Japanese symbol of longevity, resilience, and celebratory good fortune.
The artisan utilizes a dynamic, free-flowing folk brush technique, letting the deep cobalt washes sweep across the body and dynamically trail over the rim. Strikingly, the reverse of the bowl showcases prominent, authentic chattering tool marks (Kanbanna) left under the glaze during the wheel-turning process, providing a beautiful, tactile connection to the potter’s hand. The porcelain displays a classic, authentic grayish-blue glaze tint and natural minor iron-speck impurities characteristic of early regional kiln firings.
Product Specifications
Era: Late Meiji / Taisho / Early Showa Period (c. 1910–1940)
Country of Origin: Japan
Material: Heavy Regional Hard-Paste Porcelain / Folk Stoneware
Technique: Hand-painted Underglaze Cobalt Blue (Sometsuke)
Markings: Hand-written cursive underglaze blue signature to the base (夜叉造 - Yasha zō)
Dimensions: 16cm x 6.5cm
Condition Report
Structure: In excellent antique/vintage condition. Structurally sound with no chips, cracks, structural hairlines, or post-production restorations. The piece rings with a clear, high-pitched resonance when tapped.
Surface: The glossy interior glaze remains incredibly bright, fresh, and highly reflective, showing only minimal micro-scratches from honest handling over the decades.
Reverse & Base: The exterior features organic, production-era wheel-trimming texture beneath the glaze. The unglazed foot ring displays deep, authentic ground-in shelf coloration and natural kiln grit consistent with a century of age.
Dispatched with Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed 1PM