Page 2 of 5
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:54 am
by Darbotek
wtreader wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:37 am
Through that site I got in contact with a company that apparently knows Konishi Yohei and sells his works pretty extensively (in china as well). The company is called "Int Group LTD" with their website
http://intgroup.co.jp/.
How do you see what they have? I see their blurb about him but only 4 photos.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 11:58 am
by wtreader
Darbotek wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:54 am
wtreader wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:37 am
Through that site I got in contact with a company that apparently knows Konishi Yohei and sells his works pretty extensively (in china as well). The company is called "Int Group LTD" with their website
http://intgroup.co.jp/.
How do you see what they have? I see their blurb about him but only 4 photos.
It varies over time. They sent me some word docs with the current selection via email (generally about 15 per firing batch).
But yeah it is too bad they don't have a dynamic listing site like Artistic Nippon.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:51 pm
by wtreader
Bintuborg wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:41 pm
I have a lot of Japanese ceramics (and teaware) vendors saved. I will share a few. These ones are more on the accessible side and I think they suit the tastes of this forum.
Inbeya - All bizenyaki. Site is in English.
https://inbeya.com/englishindex.html
Bizenyaki kibido - all bizenyaki. All in english. This site is linked on the wikipedia page for Bizen.
https://www.bizenyakikibido.com/index.p ... ry&path=61
Sou - Everything, literally everything. They have an ebay but this is their main site. In English.
https://www.net-qp.com/en/
Shoindo - Teaware and other things. Japanese website only. I include them because they will ship abroad, also this is a famous store. It is on one of the famous roads in Kyoto. I actually visited Kyoto and wandered in by accident and was really confused why all the stuff looked so familiar!
https://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/shoindo/
Tablin store - Very helpful and friendly. Sells teaware and knives and other things.
https://www.tablinstore.info/
Japan Pottery Net - As the website name says, they sell japanese pottery. I think it looks slightly marked up but nothing crazy.
https://www.japanpotterynet.com/en/
Naganawa - website in Japanese only but they will ship to USA if you email them. Notable for all the iga yaki, bizen yaki, and other earthy styles.
http://www.naganawa.jp/
Enjoy.
The Naganawa site looks amazing. Thanks for sharing this list
@Bintuborg! Lots of new places to go through now.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:46 pm
by Darbotek
wtreader wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 11:58 am
Darbotek wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:54 am
wtreader wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:37 am
Through that site I got in contact with a company that apparently knows Konishi Yohei and sells his works pretty extensively (in china as well). The company is called "Int Group LTD" with their website
http://intgroup.co.jp/.
How do you see what they have? I see their blurb about him but only 4 photos.
It varies over time. They sent me some word docs with the current selection via email (generally about 15 per firing batch).
But yeah it is too bad they don't have a dynamic listing site like Artistic Nippon.
Ah ok, so I need to contact them when I am in the market. They don’t have any problems shipping to the US?
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:07 pm
by wtreader
I can give you their email address if you are interested.
Also I probably shouldn't promote my for sale add here, but I do have a Konishi Yohei for sale.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:13 pm
by Baisao
@wtreader, I am also fond of Konishi Yohei and have been fortunate enough to acquire a few pieces. The clay is okay for tea but his artistry is unsurpassed, in my opinion.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 9:31 pm
by wtreader
Absolutely agree
@Baisao. He has such immense range of style and expression. So much character to his work.
Where did you get yours if you don’t mind me asking?
And what are some artists that use superior clay for tea? Would be nice to keep them in mind if I decide to look into branching out on my collection.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:52 pm
by Darbotek
wtreader wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 8:07 pm
I can give you their email address if you are interested.
Also I probably shouldn't promote my for sale add here, but I do have a Konishi Yohei for sale.
It’s a beautiful piece, but I have found I prefer pots that are wider than they are tall.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2020 10:01 pm
by wtreader
Totally understand! Better for aerating the tea when it seeps that way I hear.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:25 pm
by Baisao
@wtreader, his clay has a typical Tokoname property that tickles my palate, even his wood fired pieces. However, the wood fired pieces by Sou Yamada are smoothing (same-ish clay). The pieces by his apprentice, Taisuke Ichikawa, are very smoothing as are mumyoi from Sado Island.
Some days I like the tickling feeling other days I like a smoother feeling. No single best.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:31 pm
by faj
Before the end-of-year holidays, I had an email exchange with Takeyoshi from tokoname.or.jp about a couple of teapots. The replies were coming in quickly, but suddenly stopped, and I have not heard back since despite a few follow-ups. I wonder if my emails are being blocked by an anti-spam filter or if there is something else happening on their end that could explain this turn of events.
Has anyone been in communication with them recently?
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:36 pm
by AozoraE
faj wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:31 pm
Before the end-of-year holidays, I had an email exchange with Takeyoshi from tokoname.or.jp about a couple of teapots. The replies were coming in quickly, but suddenly stopped, and I have not heard back since despite a few follow-ups. I wonder if my emails are being blocked by an anti-spam filter or if there is something else happening on their end that could explain this turn of events.
Has anyone been in communication with them recently?
Interesting. I sent him an email asking about a pot before new years and he never got back to me. I thought he was just ignoring me but maybe something is going on on his end that`s keeping him from responding to his emails.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:48 pm
by faj
AozoraE wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:36 pm
Interesting. I sent him an email asking about a pot before new years and he never got back to me. I thought he was just ignoring me but maybe something is going on on his end that`s keeping him from responding to his emails.
I sympathize with you on this one... Unless we are after the same pot.
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 11:52 pm
by Darbotek
I had emailed him numerous times over the last year inquiring about certain pots and would never hear back, I would get distracted by another piece of tea ware and forget. I’m kind of obsessed with So Yamada right now and there was a wood fired pot I really had my eye on and I decided to finally take the plunge on a Konishi Yohei. He once again didn’t reply. I thought about messaging him through eBay, but I know they monitor messages to make sure someone isn’t selling outside of eBay and I didn’t want to get him into trouble. So I emailed him again through my old gmail account asking him to reply to my main iCloud account as it seems my emails are ending up in the spam folder. He finally replied and while communication was slow and the So pot I wanted was sold, I finally made a purchase! I ended up with a wood fired Hokujo piece from eBay, since it seems like his work will be harder to get now. Maybe this will finally be the Hokujo I click with.
Long story short, maybe try emailing from another address?
Re: Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:03 am
by faj
Darbotek wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 11:52 pm
Long story short, maybe try emailing from another address?
Well, those are only a few data points, but it is hard not to see a pattern emerging. My initial contact was through eBay, and subsequent communication through a separate address (some of the pots I was interested in were on eBay, others on the website, and I wanted to arrange for a single shipment).
Maybe they sell primarily to retailers, maybe they do not especially care for international customers or shipping, maybe there is a need for a proper introduction by someone they know, maybe they only follow up on inquiries that get them to a sale within an email or two, maybe dealing with email inquiries is not a priority for them, maybe there is something in how we communicate that is perceived negatively at the other end. Makes one wonder if one should give up or nag one's way to a purchase...