Vintage Sake bottle from Onta Yaki.
This rhythmic design is created using tobikanna, a traditional decorative technique.
The style of Onta ware, which has a history of over 300 years, has remained unchanged, while vintage pieces are especially remarkable.
H 15.6 cm x W 8.4 cm / 318 g
Holds 390ml
Good condition ★★★☆☆
No chips, No cracks
ABOUT ONTA WARE
Onta ware (Onta-yaki) is a traditional Japanese pottery produced in the mountain village of Onta in Oita Prefecture. Each piece carries only the mark of the Onta village rather than an individual signature, reflecting the belief that every vessel is the result of collective effort rather than a single artisan’s work.
For generations, the craft has been passed down strictly from father to a single son, with all processes—from clay preparation to firing—still carried out within family workshops. This careful succession has preserved both the techniques and the distinctive aesthetic that define Onta ware.
Onta ware gained international recognition when it was introduced by Muneyoshi Yanagi, founder of the Mingei (folk craft) movement, together with potter Shoji Hamada and the British potter Bernard Leach. In 1970, it was recorded as an intangible cultural property requiring preservation, and in 1995 it was designated an Important National Intangible Cultural Property, supported by the Onta Ware Technical Conservation Society.
The Onta village itself is celebrated not only for its craft but also for its surroundings: the rhythmic sound of water-powered clay-crushing hammers has earned the area a place among the 100 Soundscapes of Japan, further underscoring the deep harmony between Onta’s natural environment and its centuries-old pottery tradition.
