Biko Round Bonsai Pot #489 – Medallion, Ruri Blue, Chop Mark

A round pot from Horie Biko in ruri, the deep blue that became a signature glaze of his: glossy and saturated in a way few other potters attempted. It carries his medallion, the raised origami crane motif that is the fastest way to identify his work, and it stands on square cut feet.

The construction is why this one is marked competition quality. Biko trained under Heian Kouzan, and the clean lines and precise finishing around the rim and foot are what that apprenticeship demanded. The chop is pressed into the base.

At 2 inches deep this is a small pot for shohin or accent work, and shallow, so it suits a tree whose roots are already established rather than one still building mass. A glaze this saturated wants foliage to answer rather than bark to compete with, which points toward deciduous or flowering material. Biko's small-format work is the hardest of his output to find now.