*THIS ITEM WEIGHS 2195 GRAMS WITHOUT PACKAGING, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR SHIPPING DETAILS AND UPGRADES.

This listing is for a set of five Shino-ware plates made by noted potter, Andou Hidetake. They are made of stoneware and decorated with majestic cranes in flight.  Cranes are thought to live for 1000 years, so they are regarded as an auspicious character symbolizing longevity.  They are commonly used to decorate teaware during New Year to bring year round fortune.  The mark of the potter can be found on the bottom, and they come with their original signed wooden storage box.  They also come with a Japanese language profile paper.

Andou Hidetake (b.1938) is a Mino-ware potter who works out of Sentaro Gama. He studied under Kato Tokuro and is best known for his exquisite Shino wares. His work was selected for the prestigious Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition in 1964, followed by the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition in 1971. His first award came in 1973 when he received the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition Encouragement Award in 1973. He then became a regular member of the Japan Arts Crafts Association in 1974, and in 2003 he was officially designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Asset of Gifu Prefecture. **Fellow sellers, this information was researched by Kominka Zakka and CANNOT be used in your own listings.

Shino-ware is stoneware coated with a white feldspar glaze. It is grouped with Seto-ware and Oribe-ware and is collectively known as Mino-ware. Shino-ware is characterized by red scorch marks and the surface is dotted with small pin holes. Simple designs using iron oxide are applied first and these are later coated with the feldspar glaze. Pieces can be grey, red, or white; owing to how thick or thin the feldspar is applied, and also how the atmosphere of the kiln has affected the high iron content. The actual production method may also lend a hand in this. Pieces are generally fired at lower temperatures and allowed a slow cooling process. This produces the wonderful crawling pattern that Shino-ware is well known for.

Sizes

Box:  H.10cm (3.9”) x 18.7cm (7.3”) x 18.7cm (7.3”)

Plates:  H.1.8cm (0.7”) x Dia.16.8cm (6.6”)

Condition

The entire set is in very good condition with no chips or cracks.

THESE ARE SHIPPING ESTIMATES BASED ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION                

**Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia:  NO SHIPPING.  Very strict and expensive packaging laws in place and we are not licensed to send products to these countries.  We have no plan to register at this time because the process is in some cases very expensive and complicated, plus each country has its own set of regulations and application process. 

**USA: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 11-12 weeks), an upgrade for EMS Express (10-15 days) available for an additional 6300 yen. 

**UK , Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 8-12 weeks depending on the destination), an upgrade for EMS Express (10-15 days) available for an additional 5100 yen. 

**Asia: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 6-8 weeks), an upgrade for EMS Express (7-10 days) available for an additional 5750 yen.

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.