What it the most you have ever spent on a single bonsai pot? (results will be anonymous)

[JeffS73]

Oh heck, I'll bite. In starting to make pots I also started buying some to get an idea of what makes a good pot. One year later I'm importing pots to the UK for sale (selling worldwide).

This one isn't leaving anytime soon though:

Lord Okumura Souzan. He rebuilt the kiln at Hikone on Lake Biwa. I like to think he was inspired by deer in the forest there.

 

[Sansokuu]

I dont do bonsai but I got this sweet pot from Nel Son and put a neofinetia orchid in it. Shinobu pot, $335. Between NelSon and josef Addis, our money is just For those who are curious, these pots are likely made in molds and then hand embellished and further detailed after. When I have more time some day I would love to explore relief sculptures like this on pots!

 

[RJG2]

more time

You're funny. I have a 3 and a 5 year old - you and Nao aren't far behind

Good thing I work for a Canadian company with lots of vacation, I need to take days off in the spring just to repot a very modest number of trees!

 

[Sansokuu]

You're funny. I have a 3 and a 5 year old - you and Nao aren't far behind

Good thing I work for a Canadian company with lots of vacation, I need to take days off in the spring just to repot a very modest number of trees!

So you know. I recently finally found a decent nanny because I just needed a few hours here and there to regain my sanity. The baby hates being in the car, and it was getting too stressful for me to drive the toddler to preschool with baby screaming all the way there and back. Lot of guilt between regaining sanity and spending a lot of money and sucking it up and not wanting to spend the money. But the website needs updating, and the online shop drops that we say will happen but never do, the studio needs a deep clean..

 

[Chosennugget]

I got this pot because the dragons looked too funny and derpy.

 

[KikurageOtomo]

I dont do bonsai but I got this sweet pot from Nel Son and put a neofinetia orchid in it. Shinobu pot, $335. Between NelSon and josef Addis, our money is just For those who are curious, these pots are likely made in molds and then hand embellished and further detailed after. When I have more time some day I would love to explore relief sculptures like this on pots!

Dibs on the relief quail pot.

 

[Ryceman3]

I answered in Australian dollars so that might skew the results a tad!
As my trees mature my thought into pot choice refines… a few years ago, pot choice was far less of a priority … now it is a definite factor. But no…I’m not the guy at 5K+, not even in AUD…

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Expensive or not, I am just enjoying seeing all the pots!

Here are a few more for fun, all Tofukuji.
this one is adorned with 12-15 of his different chops. unassuming from a distance, but really cool if you’re a tofu geek.


small light blue rectangle:


Deep blue teribeneri with some exposed grog and pits:


my first tofu, oribe glaze, it’s been to the Nattys, wish the album photos included accents, but I understand…


a Taketori-yu type of glaze:

 

[mj_barb]

It’s funny these threads popped up because I ordered my most expensive tree a few weeks ago (to be delivered end of feb) and then my most expensive pot for it last week. Here’s a picture of fedex testing its flight capabilities:


All good though because Matt O packs them like they’re going to the moon. Nothing fancy, 15” Shoku $200-$300

 

[Dav4]

It’s funny these threads popped up because I ordered my most expensive tree a few weeks ago (to be delivered end of feb) and then my most expensive pot for it last week. Here’s a picture of fedex testing its flight capabilities:
View attachment 526466

All good though because Matt O packs them like they’re going to the moon. Nothing fancy, 15” Shoku $200-$300
View attachment 526468

Those in the know knew the seller before you mentioned his name... that shipping box AND the wooden box in Matt's studio shot are iconic.

 

[johng]

For the last several years, I try to only buy pots from Western potters... Recently I have been trying to acquire some larger forest trays...

the first pic is all from Nationals except for the slab on top. A couple nice Rayner's and Nao's These are all in the 20-24" range..second from the bottom is an older Rayner. The bottom is my most expensive container purchase at $675
the second pic are some custom pots from Robert Wallace...he has recently started posting here on BNut @ForrestW ...excellent potter!! I think one is 25" and the other ~26"

 

[Kievnstavick]

Here are my "most expensive pots" in the $100-$200 range. All three are from a local potter Kandied Clay that I discovered early on and have fallen in love with their general style and workmanship. These pictures were a quick and dirty plus a slight edit. I forgot to take some quick measurements for an idea of size, but these are two hand pots. I took a picture of the assumed front and back.

Pot "A" Creamy glazed oval



Pot "B". An unglazed round with some pitting on the outer diameter and an interesting scratch line (not shown).



Pot "C". From the same series as B. An unglazed oval and slightly brighter clay body.



Bonus: My current favorite pot made by @BrightsideB. A groggy round with a pronounced lip and thick walls. One Hand sized. I put a banana pepper into it in order to start building patina on the pot while I wait for some of my trees to get to the point of sitting in a pot. Far from one of the most expensive, but as I felt like including this as appropriate and to show my appreciation.

 

[ForrestW]

It’s funny these threads popped up because I ordered my most expensive tree a few weeks ago (to be delivered end of feb) and then my most expensive pot for it last week. Here’s a picture of fedex testing its flight capabilities:
View attachment 526466

All good though because Matt O packs them like they’re going to the moon. Nothing fancy, 15” Shoku $200-$300
View attachment 526468

That top picture is why the idea of shipping big pots scares the $%^#@ out of me every time... Maybe if I just make the box heavy enough they wont be able to throw it

 

[rockm]

That top picture is why the idea of shipping big pots scares the $%^#@ out of me every time... Maybe if I just make the box heavy enough they wont be able to throw it

It's all in the packing. Got this big one from Wigerts. Came Fedex freight since it's over 22" wide--regular Fedex won't ship over that. Arrived unharmed and unchipped. I worried about it from the day I bought it to the day I unwrapped it. Packed box-in-box with 500 yards of bubble wrap and peanuts. Also too heavy to heave.

 

[rockm]

For the last several years, I try to only buy pots from Western potters... Recently I have been trying to acquire some larger forest trays...

the first pic is all from Nationals except for the slab on top. A couple nice Rayner's and Nao's These are all in the 20-24" range..second from the bottom is an older Rayner. The bottom is my most expensive container purchase at $675
the second pic are some custom pots from Robert Wallace...he has recently started posting here on BNut @ForrestW ...excellent potter!! I think one is 25" and the other ~26"

View attachment 526480

View attachment 526481

Nice!. I've got a few custom trays from Bryan Albright and Ron Lang. Looove a good tray!

 

[Dav4]

This thread is great! Anyway, I thought my Tofukujis deserved better pictures. My first is my smallest but has the most colorful glaze.



The next two are larger…



This one is the widest at 6.5 inches. Also, the cheapest, as it has repaired feet.



This last one is my one unglazed pot by Tofukuji… It could be my favorite.



I decided to take a picture of my only Yusen. Apparently, he only made a few hundred pots. This one has been damaged and repaired, as well. Otherwise, there would be no way I could’ve ever afforded it when I purchased it four or five years ago.

 

[Ruddigger]

It’s funny these threads popped up because I ordered my most expensive tree a few weeks ago (to be delivered end of feb) and then my most expensive pot for it last week. Here’s a picture of fedex testing its flight capabilities:
View attachment 526466

All good though because Matt O packs them like they’re going to the moon. Nothing fancy, 15” Shoku $200-$300
View attachment 526468

Yeah he does, I ordered a nanban from him recently, I could have thrown that box off of my roof and the pot would be fine.

 

[BrightsideB]

Here are my "most expensive pots" in the $100-$200 range. All three are from a local potter Kandied Clay that I discovered early on and have fallen in love with their general style and workmanship. These pictures were a quick and dirty plus a slight edit. I forgot to take some quick measurements for an idea of size, but these are two hand pots. I took a picture of the assumed front and back.

Pot "A" Creamy glazed oval

View attachment 526474View attachment 526475

Pot "B". An unglazed round with some pitting on the outer diameter and an interesting scratch line (not shown).

View attachment 526476View attachment 526477

Pot "C". From the same series as B. An unglazed oval and slightly brighter clay body.

View attachment 526478View attachment 526479

Bonus: My current favorite pot made by @BrightsideB. A groggy round with a pronounced lip and thick walls. One Hand sized. I put a banana pepper into it in order to start building patina on the pot while I wait for some of my trees to get to the point of sitting in a pot. Far from one of the most expensive, but as I felt like including this as appropriate and to show my appreciation.

View attachment 526473

That’s awesome! Is one of my favorites I’ve made to date as well. Made it when I started out selling my work and felt more creative. Got to get back to that creative flow again.

 

[Kievnstavick]

That’s awesome! Is one of my favorites I’ve made to date as well. Made it when I started out selling my work and felt more creative. Got to get back to that creative flow again.

Please do! I'd love to see more pots made in and around this style. I can't say I'd buy them all, but it would definitely be harder to not impulse buy them xD

 

[whfarro]

My priciest pot - 21 x 14


View attachment 526148

nice pairing with that tree