Tofukuji pot?
- Thread starter rich415
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John Romano
Mame
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Tis he!
John
John
rich415
Mame
So I'm pretty sure I have verified the small round pot as a Tokufuji. Short of taking it to a professional. My wife and I did some japanese google searches and turned up a few pots on Japanese bonsai store websites as well as auction sites that are very similar to mine. I'll post links later when we're done searching.
John Romano
Mame
- Messages
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Cool Rich! What a find!!!
I paid mucho for my one treasure.
John
I paid mucho for my one treasure.
John
rich415
Mame
Here's the same pot going for about $680.00 on an auction site.
http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h138993319
Here's a similar pot posted on a personal site describing how Tofukuji was the best of the best:
http://www.geocities.co.jp/PowderRoom/6922/bonsaikobati/bonsaikobati.htm
So I'm thinking the original owner went to Japan and must have bought a couple cheap pots at the kiln or store. One was made by Tofukuji himself the other fired in the same kiln. Neither show a great amount of use, so maybe he knew what he had.
This just reinforces my practice of visiting nurseries often even if you walk away 90% of the time without buying a thing. You never know what might be there.
http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h138993319
Here's a similar pot posted on a personal site describing how Tofukuji was the best of the best:
http://www.geocities.co.jp/PowderRoom/6922/bonsaikobati/bonsaikobati.htm
So I'm thinking the original owner went to Japan and must have bought a couple cheap pots at the kiln or store. One was made by Tofukuji himself the other fired in the same kiln. Neither show a great amount of use, so maybe he knew what he had.
This just reinforces my practice of visiting nurseries often even if you walk away 90% of the time without buying a thing. You never know what might be there.
rich415
Mame
It is posted in Yen but he posted it for 68,000 yen. So it should convert to about $680. I don't know if that is what it's worth but it's the best I could find.
I lucked out in a major way with finding these pots. Too bad I don't have any trees that are equal to their value.
Rich
I lucked out in a major way with finding these pots. Too bad I don't have any trees that are equal to their value.
Rich
GastroGnome
Mame
Unfortunately, I believe both of these pots are fakes. The clay is all wrong, the patina lacking. The first pot is undoubtedly fake. Al, your reasoning is sound, but the premises are false. Toffukuji burned his pots in kilns of friends, and didn't have his own, his work was never recognized in his lifetime. His son inherited his name as a potter, but as I understand it, only produced pots under the name for 4 years before passing away.
The second pot is Tofos most common style. Also his most copied. There are more fake tofukuji pots out there than there than are real ones...there are so many that you can get a real one for half the price of 10 yrs ago. Unlike Americans where there may be a priceless antqiue on The mantle that grandma never told anyone about, things of value are cherished and passed down generationally(just like Bonsai)
The second pot is Tofos most common style. Also his most copied. There are more fake tofukuji pots out there than there than are real ones...there are so many that you can get a real one for half the price of 10 yrs ago. Unlike Americans where there may be a priceless antqiue on The mantle that grandma never told anyone about, things of value are cherished and passed down generationally(just like Bonsai)
Beng
Omono
They are most definitely fake so you can send them to me if you like. 
GastroGnome
Mame
Lol. I remember this thread, thanks for bringing it back up.
They're both fake! Why? Let's do the breakdown:
The 1st barely bares mention, the clay is too regular, the method of foot attachment or cut incorrect, the center chop in the Kaede leaf looks nail carved and not impressed, and most of all: the drainage holes show no burring and were cut at an angle: FAKE. And don't even get me started on the clay.
I'll reiterate what I mentioned earlier in the thread because it's one of the reasons these pots are so valuable. Tofukuji didn't have a kiln. He lived in abject poverty for nearly his entire life, and used the common kiln(like a public co-op) until he was able to use the kilns of (relatively) successful potter friends.
The second is much better. I'd say 70-30 fake-real. This terebineri hand formed style is very common among Tofukujis, and also very easy to imitate, in the rough. 1st sign, position and depth of the chop. While its in the right spot, Near the edge, between the feet, it's not as sure and deep as I'd expect. Second: foot attachment. Tofukuji used an unduplicatible method of foot attachment/forming on his terebineri pots that no one has really figured out. Either they're formed from the clay while turning or attached in such a way as to make a NEARLY invisible junction. The gap between the bottom and the feet on the inner side is a dead tell, these feet were obviously attached: part of the mystery of Tofukuji hand formed pots is no one can figure out whether he attached or somehow formed the feet during turning; QED. 3rd: these days this pot is worth 15-30,000¥, and that's retail, if real.
I'd kill a man for a box full of Estate Sale Tofukujis...but who forgets that they paid 500$ for something(5 years ago) or 700$(15 years ago) or a a grand(during the boom, that's what this pot would have fetched)????
Ryan
Http://JapaneseBonsaiPots.net
They're both fake! Why? Let's do the breakdown:
The 1st barely bares mention, the clay is too regular, the method of foot attachment or cut incorrect, the center chop in the Kaede leaf looks nail carved and not impressed, and most of all: the drainage holes show no burring and were cut at an angle: FAKE. And don't even get me started on the clay.
I'll reiterate what I mentioned earlier in the thread because it's one of the reasons these pots are so valuable. Tofukuji didn't have a kiln. He lived in abject poverty for nearly his entire life, and used the common kiln(like a public co-op) until he was able to use the kilns of (relatively) successful potter friends.
The second is much better. I'd say 70-30 fake-real. This terebineri hand formed style is very common among Tofukujis, and also very easy to imitate, in the rough. 1st sign, position and depth of the chop. While its in the right spot, Near the edge, between the feet, it's not as sure and deep as I'd expect. Second: foot attachment. Tofukuji used an unduplicatible method of foot attachment/forming on his terebineri pots that no one has really figured out. Either they're formed from the clay while turning or attached in such a way as to make a NEARLY invisible junction. The gap between the bottom and the feet on the inner side is a dead tell, these feet were obviously attached: part of the mystery of Tofukuji hand formed pots is no one can figure out whether he attached or somehow formed the feet during turning; QED. 3rd: these days this pot is worth 15-30,000¥, and that's retail, if real.
I'd kill a man for a box full of Estate Sale Tofukujis...but who forgets that they paid 500$ for something(5 years ago) or 700$(15 years ago) or a a grand(during the boom, that's what this pot would have fetched)????
Ryan
Http://JapaneseBonsaiPots.net
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