Informal information:

A special edition pot made for the Kotobuki Satsuki Azalea society who hold an annual exhibition. I believe this is why the seal is a special one as well, with Buzans Kanjii inside a Torii gate.

The pot does have a lot of characteristics suitable for an azalea, primarily depth, and then a good dark colour which provides a suitable background for the bark, foliage and flowers to look their best. Good drainage holes too, only the slightest internal rim allowing easy repotting.

It has clearly been used for decades, and true to all ruri glazed pots, difficult to photograph! There is a small foot chip but it does nothing to diminish the pot. Buzan pots are rare at the best of times, and this is a very good example.

Condition: Used, patina, one small foot chip (see pics), excellent.

Buzan - Shimono Buzan - He started out as a small bonsai enthusiast and began making small bowls. His first kiln was built in 1969. He then began selling and repairing bonsai pots wholesale. In the process of establishing his repair know-how, he learned a lot from old pots, and even for glazed pots, he sought out classic natural glazes and carefully selected clay bodies to match them, which led to the creation of Takeyama pots. He is a regular at the National Small Bowl Masterpiece Exhibition and has won numerous awards. In addition to lapis lazuli and copper glazes, he also makes mud pots. His initial pottery name was Nakata Takeyama, but on the occasion of his 15th anniversary in 1980, he adopted the name Shimotsuke Takeyama.