Yanashita Tomoko was born in Iwate Prefecture in 1981 and graduated from the ceramics department of the Kyoto Traditional Crafts School in 2002. She specializes in the delicate and colourful Kochi (Cochin) wares - also known as Jiaozhi ware - originally made Northern Vietnam and Fujian China, which became popular in the Kyoto area during the Edo period.

Tomoko pots alongside her husband Yanashita Hideki in the Iga area. Originally inspired by the Kochi wares of Mokubei Aoki and Dōhachi Ninnami, Yanashita also hand-sculpts figures and incense wares in the raku tradition. They are formed with a raku clay body with a low fire resistance. They are fired at low temperature in the Yanashita kerosene raku kiln resulting in their soft texture and gentle colours.

This incense container is part of Tomoko’s “Shichifukujin” or Seven Lucky Gods series. Each one depicts a different god, hand-formed in the shape of a kogo box. Juroujin is specifically known as the god of wisdom and patron of the elderly.

New from the artist’s studio. Comes with the signed, stamped, and titled wood box, wrapping cloth, and CV.