Pottery washbasin

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Pottery washbasin

The roots of the handwashing basin reach back to the 16th century — Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period. A passion for making, free from convention, brought into everyday life.

Three generations, one craft

For three generations, our family has carried forward the traditional craft of Mino ware. What sets our vessels apart is the ability to throw large forms on the wheel using aged clay — clay prone to warping, and all the harder to master because of it. Our handwashing basins, above all, showcase the height of that wheel-throwing skill.

The pinnacle of Japanese beauty, in everyday life

Bringing ceramic art into the home can feel daunting. Yet by welcoming it as a "handwashing basin" — something you use every day — the beauty of Japan's traditions settles quietly into your daily life. Each morning as you wash your face, each time you rinse your hands, you'll feel the breath of four centuries of history and the warmth of the artisan's hand in the ordinary moments of the day.

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Shinji Ito & Kouichiro Ito

Skill and spirit, passed down through three generations.

The character only ceramic art can hold

These works were born of a long journey — a father and son who have faced clay and flame together, year after year. In each piece dwells a craft refined over time, and the heart of the one who made it.
The larger the vessel, the harder it is to throw on the wheel.

Works of earth, fire, and time

We hope that an encounter with these ceramic works will bring quiet richness to your daily life, and become a bond you will treasure for many years to come.

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Kennin Kishimoto

A potter who spent thirty years pursuing the fortuitous landscapes born of the human hand and the local earth, fired in a half-anagama kiln.

A devotion to the anagama kiln

There was a time when firing a vessel meant keeping the kiln burning for a full week. Kishimoto continued to create his works in pursuit of colors, textures, and a functional beauty that only the anagama kiln can bring forth.
Born in 1934, Kennin Kishimoto entered the pottery lands of Mino in 1960 and has faced clay and flame for more than half a century. His works are held in the collections of museums in Japan and abroad, including the Yale University Art Gallery and the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
His works are held in the collections of museums in Japan and abroad, including the Yale University Art Gallery and the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.

We also carry the works of Kennin Kishimoto

At Shinzan Gallery, we are proud to offer the works of Kennin Kishimoto alongside our own.