*THIS ITEM WEIGHS 1515 GRAMS WITHOUT PACKAGING, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR SHIPPING DETAILS AND UPGRADES.

This listing is for a rather robust Akahada-ware okimono made around 30 years ago by noted potter, Onishi Rakusai.  It is made from a slip mould and is moulded to resemble a beautiful pheasant.  In Japan, there is an old folk story about a boy named Momotaro.  Momotaro was born from a giant peach that was found floating down a river nearby an old lady who was busy washing her clothes.  The old lady collected the peach and took it home to eat it.  When she and her husband cut the peach open they found a small boy inside.  The boy’s name was Momotaro, and he told them that he was sent from the heavens to be the son they never had.  As he grew older he became brave and decided to fight a group of ogres who were terrorising the area.  The ogres lived on an island, and Momotaro set out to find them.  En route he befriended a dog, a monkey and a pheasant, and together they beat the demons into surrender.  The pheasant in this listing may be in reference to the pheasant that helped Momotaro beat down the offending ogres.  The stamps of the potter can be found on the bottom, and it comes with its original signed wooden storage box.  It also comes with a Japanese language profile paper about the potter. 

Onishi Rakusai (b.1965) is the seventh generation master of the prestigious Kohaku Gama located in Nara Prefecture.  He studied under his grandfather Rakusai V, and held his first solo exhibition in 1998.  In 2004 he took over the family kiln and received the honour of exhibiting in the Nara National Museum.  His most important achievement to date is being designated as Kasuga Shrine’s official earthenware master.  Earthenware pieces are required for shrine rituals, a tradition that has been in existence since ancient times.  It is indeed a very high honour to be chosen to continue this tradition on behalf of Kasuga Shrine.  Onishi’s teaware is in high demand and very sought after by collectors, thus commanding high prices on the open market.   **Fellow sellers, this information was researched by Kominka Zakka and CANNOT be used in your own listings.

Akahada-ware refers to pottery produced in Nara Prefecture that has a thick round shape, and a pale reddish and white colour. The colour is produced by the unique ingredients used for the glaze. It has a smooth surface and many Akahada pieces are embossed with scenes of people or deer. These scenes are known as Nara-e, which means pictures of Nara.

Japanese okimono figurines are decorative items used for display purposes. There are those for religious purposes, junishi animals for commemorating the Japanese astrological calendar, and those depicting auspicious symbols such as ise ebi, cranes, foo lions and tortoises. The okimono in this listing is intended for decorating a tea room or a tokonoma.

Sizes

Box:  H.18cm (7”) x 29.5cm (11.6”) x 14.5cm (5.7”)

Pheasant:  H.13.7cm (5.3”) x L.27cm (10.6”) x W.10.3cm (4”)

Condition

It’s in very good condition with no chips or cracks, however the wooden box has some light wear.

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 5100 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 4050 yen. 

**Asia: SAL Sea Mail (approx. 6-8 weeks), an upgrade for EMS Express (7-10 days) available for an additional 2050 yen.

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.