Shibukusayaki bonsai vessels have a long tradition in the bonsai world. It was probably this type of artwork that Ryuzo 6th saw in an old book, and the feet mold of these bonsai pots was passed down in the Ryuzo Pottery studio.

 

Shibukusa Ryuzo, Blue and white porcelain/round pot with dragon in overglaze decoration (left: 12.1 cm × 5.5 cm)
Made in the early Heisei era. Both are ceramics, and the paintings stand out for their fine details.

 

Shibukusa Ryuzo, Painted round pot
Bonsai pots produced circa 2008.
From top: 7.6 cm, 9.1 cm, and 12.1 cm. The pots circulating most in the bonsai world today are most likely from this period.

 

 

Shibukusa Ryuzo Pot of the Heisei Era Was Born by Coincidence

 

Ryuzo 6th’s first encounter with bonsai pots was actually a picture of a Shibukusa Ryuzo bonsai pot he saw in an old book. The shape of the feet left an impression on him, and he chanced upon the same pot feet mold when sorting through his studio around the same time. In addition, there was a bonsai enthusiast living next to the workshop, so he made the first bonsai pot just for fun, talking with the neighbor and seeing how he used it. That pot happened to catch the eye of a local bonsai garden, which placed an order for the same type of pot.
This was circa 1990, in the early years of the Heisei era. Since then, several orders have resulted in the emergence of Shibukusa Ryuzo 6th bonsai pots.