Est. Kyoto, Japan
Handcrafted ceramics born from earth, water, and fire. Each piece carries centuries of tradition, shaped by patient hands and fired in ancient kilns.
We embrace the beauty of imperfection. Each crack, each subtle asymmetry tells a story of the clay's journey through fire and time. Nothing is ever truly finished.
The empty space around a vessel is as important as the vessel itself. We design with restraint, allowing each piece room to breathe and exist in quietude.
One time, one meeting. Every firing produces unrepeatable results. The glaze, the temperature, the moisture in the air conspire to create something singular.
"The kiln remembers everything the hands have forgotten."
Studio Maxim, est. 1847
Each piece in our collection is wheel-thrown, hand-glazed, and kiln-fired over the course of many weeks.
Full-moon vessel in celadon glaze. Wheel-thrown in two halves, joined at the equator. 28cm.
Tall cylinder with hand-painted cobalt circles. Inspired by Song dynasty motifs. 34cm.
Wide-mouthed chawan in warm shino glaze. Perfect for matcha ceremony. 12cm diameter.
A graduated set of three bud vases. Celadon, ink, and shino glazes in harmony.
Rimmed dinner plate with concentric celadon bands. Translucent at the edges. 26cm.
From raw earth to finished vessel, each piece passes through seven deliberate stages over the course of six to eight weeks.
We source our kaolin from the mountains of Arita. The raw clay is washed, aged for six months, then wedged by hand to remove air pockets. This patient preparation ensures the clay's memory is clear, ready to receive a new form.
Duration: 6 months agingThe centering of the clay is a meditation. Our potters spend years mastering the subtle pressure of fingertips against spinning earth. Each pull upward thins the walls to translucent delicacy, the hallmark of true porcelain.
Duration: 1-3 hours per pieceLeather-hard pieces are returned to the wheel for trimming. The foot ring is carved with precision, creating the signature ring that will echo softly when the finished piece is tapped. Slow drying prevents warping.
Duration: 5-7 days dryingThe first firing at 900 degrees Celsius transforms fragile clay into durable bisqueware. The kiln is loaded with reverence, each piece placed to allow even heat circulation. The firing takes fourteen hours, cooling another twenty-four.
Duration: 38 hours totalOur celadon glaze recipe has been refined over five generations. The iron-rich formula produces the luminous jade-green that has captivated collectors for centuries. Each piece is dipped, poured, or brushed by hand, the thickness of glaze as considered as the form beneath.
Duration: 2-3 days per pieceThe final firing reaches 1280 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the glaze melts and flows like water, the clay vitrifies to translucence. We fire in a reduction atmosphere, starving the kiln of oxygen to coax the deepest celadon hues from the iron in the glaze.
Duration: 48 hours totalEach piece is examined in natural light. We check for clarity of glaze, purity of tone, and the subtle ring of well-fired porcelain. The foot is hand-polished on a wet stone. Only pieces that meet our standard receive the studio seal.
Duration: Careful, unhurriedThe hands behind the craft. Three generations of potters, each carrying forward the knowledge of those who came before.
Third-generation ceramicist trained in the Arita tradition. Haruki has dedicated forty years to the wheel, specializing in translucent porcelain vessels that capture and hold light.
Trained in both traditional Chinese glaze chemistry and modern materials science, Mei-Lin has developed over thirty original glaze recipes. Her celadon formulas produce colors previously thought lost to history.
Sora tends our wood-fired anagama kiln, a five-meter tunnel of flame and patience. She reads the fire by color and sound, adjusting airflow through intuition refined over twenty-five years of careful observation.
Our studio welcomes visitors by appointment. Come witness the turning of the wheel, the preparation of the glaze, the opening of the kiln.
The moon jar I purchased three years ago still surprises me with new subtleties of color as the seasons change the light in my home.
Akiko Watanabe
Art Collector, Tokyo
Visiting the studio was transformative. Watching Haruki at the wheel, I understood that patience is not passive but deeply creative.
James Thornton
Curator, V&A Museum