• Shigaraki black gold ikebana vase in handmade Japanese stoneware
  • Front angled view of Shigaraki black gold vase with rounded form
  • Top opening of black gold Shigaraki ikebana vase
  • Close-up of the black and gold glaze on a handmade Shigaraki vase
  • Full body view of rounded Shigaraki black gold decorative vase
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ZenKiln

Shigaraki-yaki Black & Gold Vase — Marui Seitō "Hechimon" Banju Natsume Form, 24 cm

£170.00 GBP
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  • Stoneware
  • Hand-wash only
  • Made in Japan

A large Shigaraki-yaki vase by 丸伊製陶 (Marui Seitō) under their contemporary art-vase brand "へちもん" (Hechimon) — the Banju (万寿) series, Natsume (棗) jujube-shape form. The piece's signature element is its intentional broken-rim silhouette (yabure-guchi 破れ口) — a centuries-old Shigaraki sculptural aesthetic, executed here in charcoal-grey Shigaraki dark-clay with a gold-pigment + ash-burn band running across one vertical face. Hand-finished drag-line incisions across the body complete the unglazed yakishime tradition.

Made by Marui Seito / Hechimon Shigaraki Ware in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln

About Shigaraki-yaki & the Hechimon brand

Shigaraki ware (信楽焼) is one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan (六古窯 / Rokkoyō) — six pottery-producing regions whose tradition stretches continuously from the Heian and Kamakura periods (10th–13th centuries) to the present. Shigaraki was designated a Traditional Craft of Japan (経済産業大臣指定伝統的工芸品) by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 1976. The tradition is best known for its warm tan-through-charcoal clay body, ash-glaze (自然釉) firing effects, and the iconic Shigaraki tanuki (狸) figures.

Marui Seitō (丸伊製陶) is a Shigaraki kiln. Their contemporary art-vase brand "Hechimon" (へちもん) takes its name from Shigaraki dialect: a hechimon is an "out-of-the-ordinary thing" — a deliberate, sculptural piece that breaks from convention. The Banju series within Hechimon is the kiln's signature large-vase line, executed in dark Shigaraki kuro-clay with intentional broken-rim mouths and gold + ash decoration bands.

The broken rim (破れ口 / Yabure-guchi)

The mouth of this vase is intentionally irregular — torn, jagged, naturally-shaped rather than smoothly thrown. This is NOT a defect. The yabure-guchi (破れ口) silhouette is a deliberate Shigaraki sculptural aesthetic, with roots in centuries of Shigaraki kiln practice where natural ash-melt and clay deformation during firing were embraced rather than corrected. Each Hechimon piece is hand-finished, so the exact rim shape varies — your piece will not look identical to the photographed example, and that is the point.

Uses & display

  • Ikebana single-stem or asymmetric arrangement
  • Display vase for branches (matsubokku pine, willow, ume plum, cherry, dried grasses)
  • Standalone sculptural object on a low shelf, alcove (tokonoma), or floor
  • Entryway / genkan vessel paired with seasonal greenery
  • A statement piece for a wabi-sabi, minimalist, or modern Japanese interior

Details & dimensions

Width: ~21 cm (~8.3″).
Depth: ~21 cm (~8.3″).
Height: ~24 cm (~9.4″).
Weight: ~4.5 kg shipping.
Form-class: Natsume (棗 jujube-shape) — ovoid silhouette with broken-rim opening.
Material: Shigaraki dark-clay pottery (陶器 / 黒土 kuro-tsuchi).
Decoration: Yabure-guchi (破れ口) broken rim + kinsai (金彩) gold pigment + hai-kaburi (灰被) ash gradient + kakitsuke (掻き付け) drag-line incisions + yakishime (焼締) unglazed body.
Maker: 丸伊製陶 Marui Seitō (Shigaraki-yaki kiln, Shiga Prefecture).
Brand-line: へちもん Hechimon ("out-of-the-ordinary thing" — contemporary art-vase line).
Series: 万寿 Banju ("Ten Thousand Longevity").
Each piece is hand-finished with slight variation.

Shipping, duties & delivery

Ships from Japan via tracked international service. Processing 1–3 business days. International transit 7–14 business days typical.

Hand-packed in the original Marui Seitō keshōbako plus double-walled outer corrugate and dense void-fill — extra padding for the unglazed pottery surface and the delicate broken-rim mouth.

Buyers outside Japan are responsible for any local customs duties, VAT, and import taxes.

Packaging & gifting

Comes in the original Marui Seitō decorated paperboard gift box (keshōbako 化粧箱) with maker's 「土の器」 (Tsuchi-no-Utsuwa) care card — ready to gift. Standard Marui Seitō commodity-line packaging (NOT a wooden tomobako).

Care instructions

Hand-wash with a soft cloth and lukewarm water only.

Do NOT use detergent — it breaks down the water-leakage treatment.

Place on a mat or coaster when using with water (the vessel has been leak-treated but the mat is a precaution per Marui Seitō's care card).

Avoid sudden temperature changes — condensation can form on the unglazed clay.

If using for ikebana, use a kenzan flower-pin — do not drop heavy stems into the broken-rim mouth.

Hand-made variations in color, drag-line pattern, ash-band placement, and rim silhouette are normal and not defects.

Returns / damage support

Returns accepted within 14 days for unused, undamaged pieces in original keshōbako packaging. Buyer pays return shipping. Inspected pre-pack. Transit damage covered with photos sent within 7 days of delivery.

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