Antique Miura Kenya Japanese
Ceramic Netsuke
Imitating Ittobori Uji Tea Picker
For sale on eBay:
www.ebay.com/usr/xcoasterxtreme
See also:
Type: Katabori (Sculptural) Netsuke
Material: Ceramic Pottery
Age: Late Edo Period (1603-1868) or Early Meiji Period (1868-1912) - maker lived from 1821-1889
Origin/Maker: Miura Kenya 三浦乾也 (1821-1889, Ogata Kenzan VI), Otowa gama 音羽窯, Kyoto, Japan. Maker's marks on base, the one on the right being 音羽 (Otowa). The mark on the left is 乾 (Ken), referring to Miura Kenya (a similar example is in the book "Netsuke Familiar & Unfamiliar" by Raymond Bushell).
Miura Kenya was the last of the Edo (Tokyo) line of artists following Ogata Kenzan, he named himself Ogata Kenzan VI. He made Kenzan-style pottery, but also explored Western technologies, building Japan's first ironclad ship and opening factories that produced Western brick, glass and ceramic insulators. One of his disciples was Bernard Leach's teacher.
Also known as Ogata Kenzan the 6th. After the death of his father, Seishichi, he was taken in by his uncle, Ida Kichiroku, and focused on Raku ware.
At first, he made a living making clay dolls, but later he was discovered by Nishimura Myakuan (5th generation Kenzan, 1784-1853) and started making maki-e lacquerware in the Ogawa Haritsu (Lacquer artist, 1663-1747) style around 1845. He also excelled at pottery, and after receiving a copy of Kenzan’s biography from Nishimura, he began to make pottery in the style of Ogata Kenzan and took the name Kenzan VI.
In addition to pottery, lacquerware, bricks, and glass, he also produced kanzashi and inro beads, which became popular under the name of “kenya-beads”.
He also went to Nagasaki to study shipbuilding techniques on the orders of the Shogunate, and is famous for the successful completion of an western warship “Kaisei-Maru” in the Sendai domain.
japan-antiques.jp/wp/miura-kenya-ogata-kenzan-vi-%e4%b8%89%e6%b5%a6%e4%b9%be%e4%b9%9f-6%e4%b8%96-%e5%b0%be%e5%bd%a2%e4%b9%be%e5%b1%b1/
Size: 1 3/8" tall (3.4925 cm)
Weight: 0.5 oz (13 g)
Provenance:
Present: Ryan Snooks collection of Japanese & Asian Decorative Art
Previous: Private Collection
Collected: Seller from Osaka, Japan, 20 OCT 2025
Condition: Item is used in fair condition commensurate with age, see photo. Some surface wear and wear to painted design.
Subject: Unusual painted ceramic katabori netsuke of an Uji tea picker, imitating the more common Ittobori (single knife carved) painted wooden dolls (ningyo) or netsuke of these Uji tea pickers. Pair of connected himotoshi (cord holes) on the back. A similar example is in the book "Netsuke Familiar & Unfamiliar" by Raymond Bushell (Pg. 211) in the section "Simulated Materials" with the following description:
661. Uji tea picker. Pottery (earthenware). Brand of Otowa, a kiln used by Kyoto potters. Signed Ken (Ken'ya; NH 479). This painted earthenware simulates the Uji ningyo made of the wood of the tea bush in ittobori style. See also Fig. 108
(Fig. 108 is a wooden example of this style of netsuke)
Location:
Antique Miura Kenya Japanese Ceramic Netsuke Imitating Ittobori Uji Tea Picker
www.ebay.com/usr/xcoasterxtreme
See also:
Type: Katabori (Sculptural) Netsuke
Material: Ceramic Pottery
Age: Late Edo Period (1603-1868) or Early Meiji Period (1868-1912) - maker lived from 1821-1889
Origin/Maker: Miura Kenya 三浦乾也 (1821-1889, Ogata Kenzan VI), Otowa gama 音羽窯, Kyoto, Japan. Maker's marks on base, the one on the right being 音羽 (Otowa). The mark on the left is 乾 (Ken), referring to Miura Kenya (a similar example is in the book "Netsuke Familiar & Unfamiliar" by Raymond Bushell).
Miura Kenya was the last of the Edo (Tokyo) line of artists following Ogata Kenzan, he named himself Ogata Kenzan VI. He made Kenzan-style pottery, but also explored Western technologies, building Japan's first ironclad ship and opening factories that produced Western brick, glass and ceramic insulators. One of his disciples was Bernard Leach's teacher.
Also known as Ogata Kenzan the 6th. After the death of his father, Seishichi, he was taken in by his uncle, Ida Kichiroku, and focused on Raku ware.
At first, he made a living making clay dolls, but later he was discovered by Nishimura Myakuan (5th generation Kenzan, 1784-1853) and started making maki-e lacquerware in the Ogawa Haritsu (Lacquer artist, 1663-1747) style around 1845. He also excelled at pottery, and after receiving a copy of Kenzan’s biography from Nishimura, he began to make pottery in the style of Ogata Kenzan and took the name Kenzan VI.
In addition to pottery, lacquerware, bricks, and glass, he also produced kanzashi and inro beads, which became popular under the name of “kenya-beads”.
He also went to Nagasaki to study shipbuilding techniques on the orders of the Shogunate, and is famous for the successful completion of an western warship “Kaisei-Maru” in the Sendai domain.
japan-antiques.jp/wp/miura-kenya-ogata-kenzan-vi-%e4%b8%89%e6%b5%a6%e4%b9%be%e4%b9%9f-6%e4%b8%96-%e5%b0%be%e5%bd%a2%e4%b9%be%e5%b1%b1/
Size: 1 3/8" tall (3.4925 cm)
Weight: 0.5 oz (13 g)
Provenance:
Present: Ryan Snooks collection of Japanese & Asian Decorative Art
Previous: Private Collection
Collected: Seller from Osaka, Japan, 20 OCT 2025
Condition: Item is used in fair condition commensurate with age, see photo. Some surface wear and wear to painted design.
Subject: Unusual painted ceramic katabori netsuke of an Uji tea picker, imitating the more common Ittobori (single knife carved) painted wooden dolls (ningyo) or netsuke of these Uji tea pickers. Pair of connected himotoshi (cord holes) on the back. A similar example is in the book "Netsuke Familiar & Unfamiliar" by Raymond Bushell (Pg. 211) in the section "Simulated Materials" with the following description:
661. Uji tea picker. Pottery (earthenware). Brand of Otowa, a kiln used by Kyoto potters. Signed Ken (Ken'ya; NH 479). This painted earthenware simulates the Uji ningyo made of the wood of the tea bush in ittobori style. See also Fig. 108
(Fig. 108 is a wooden example of this style of netsuke)
Location:
Antique Miura Kenya Japanese Ceramic Netsuke Imitating Ittobori Uji Tea Picker
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