Long before his apprenticeship with Shinji Suzuki, Michael Hagedorn made bonsai pots. Blue glazed pot The pots were made under the name Crataegus. They are well-known for their quality build, glazes, and suitability for bonsai. Nanban-style unglazed pot Michael’s attention to detail is noteworthy. The tie-down holes are in useful locations and the pots drain well when […]
Display
Bonsai is meant to be displayed. The Display posts cover how to present bonsai at exhibits, the Accents with which bonsai are displayed, and the criteria we use when selecting Bonsai Pots.
Stoneware bonsai containers by Sara Rayner
I caught up with Sara Rayner at the recent US National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, New York, where she nearly sold out on the exhibit’s first day. I quickly set aside a number of pots while there was still a good selection available and was happy I did – there was very little left by […]
Earthwares – the bonsai pots of Vicki Chamberlain
I met Vicki Chamberlain at last year’s Artisans Cup in Portland. We talked about all things bonsai for some time and then, just before heading off, Vicki mentioned that she made bonsai containers. I was curious. Green oval Over the following year, I started seeing Vicki’s work – Earthwares – online and at a few Northern California bonsai […]
Kawauso Pottery – the bonsai pots of Roy Minarai
One of the highlights of attending regional bonsai events is the opportunity to meet and get to know artists from around the world. Back in September, I was looking forward to meeting Roy Minarai of Kawauso Pottery at the US National Bonsai Exhibition. I’d seen photos of his work online and was curious to see his […]
Identifying slipcast bonsai pots
Whether you’ve realized it or not, you’ve likely seen slipcast bonsai pots. Slipcasting is a technique for creating ceramics that involves pouring liquid clay into plaster molds. Once the clay body has been formed, it can be glazed or left unglazed. Here’s a glazed example. Blue glazed pot What’s the giveaway? Although it is sometimes hard to […]