Metalware artist Kanehen creates utensils and tableware using tools to beat delicate patterns into the surface of her chosen materials. For a change she created this oversized mobile in brass with leaf inspired patterns.

kanehen’s work is available here

We visited potter Norikazu Oe at his booth at the Matsumoto Craft Fair in Nagano over the weekend. As usual the fair attracted a huge amount of visitors and there wasn’t much time to talk but we did have a chance to see some of his new glazes.

Look out for some of Oe San’s work in the shop in the next few months.

I dropped by Toki no Kumo,  in Nagahama in Shiga prefecture the other day. The gallery /shop always has a wonderful selection of contemporary ceramics, wood utensils and laquerware as well as some interesting antiques.

Although I didn’t have an opportunity to see the interior, the recently opened Toki no Kumo guesthouse looks like it might be quite a nice place for overnight visitors to the area to stay.

Toki no Kumo Guesthouse, Nagahama City, Shiga

A few things I picked up in the gallery.

Oita Prefecture based bamboo artisan Ryozou Ota’s yatara weave baskets for Babaghuri are meticulously woven from thick strips of bamboo in a seemingly random pattern. The basket’s weave is very tight and the baskets very sturdy.

Handwoven bamboo baskets. Small ¥36,000 Large ¥42,000

Western style pot with removable wooden handle by Nobuho Miya.
In the online shop here

Yonabe 28.0×25.0×H12.3cm ¥12,500

We only have a few of TajIka’s Vallican Garden Clippers in the shop and are sad to hear that they are no longer in production. The hand forged iron pruning shears are quite unlike any others that we have seen, and the hand sharpened blades cut very efficiently, but it seems they my have been too much of an effort to produce. Here

Vallicans - Garden Clippers ¥9,500

A few new pieces of tableware by Ishikawa Prefecture based ceramic artist Naoto Okada, have just arrived. We are also expecting a few larger teapots and lidded containers later in the month.
See  Naoto Okada’s tableware in the online shop here

Shinogi Cups

Pelican Teapot

Pelican Teapot

Rinka Kobachi (small dish) & Bowl

We are having an exhibition of clothing, accessories, and housewares by Tokyo based Babaghuri until April 20th. During the exhibition the shop is open daily from 11 to 7pm.

We are big fans of American George Peterson’s wood turnings and have stocked his bowls in the shop for quite some time. We wanted him to do something special for our shop opening and asked him if he could makes some stools for us. The results were fantastic.

We opened our shop in a beautiful Showa Era house on a quiet street in the Mizuho Ward area of Nagoya this last week. Located on the 2nd floor above Tsukihiso, the shop
blends the structure’s original Showa period architectural features with more contemporary styling .

The area is residential and the the shop may be a little hard to find so anyone planning to visit can call us(+81 052-933-7262) for directions. A google map is here
.