Hokusai Wave Relief Plate Okimono, Japanese Ceramic, Gray

Sold by an authorized seller from Japan's kawara industry — and a craftsman myself.

Great Wave Relief Plate Okimono in Gray Japanese Ceramic

This relief plate renders the celebrated Great Wave in softly modelled ceramic. A towering crest curls forward, its foam breaking into fine, claw-like fingers. Beneath it, small boats ride the swell, and a quiet cloud drifts across the open sky. The surface has a muted gray tone and a subtle, finely textured finish. Light and shadow play across the carved forms, so the colour may appear slightly different depending on lighting. It is designed to be displayed upright on a shelf, console or tabletop.

Onigawara are the ornamental ridge-end tiles placed on the roofs of Japanese temples, castles and traditional houses. They form part of a long protective tradition in Japanese architecture. Over time, these roof ornaments became admired as much for their sculptural presence as for their function.

Onigawara are traditionally regarded as talismans, believed to ward off evil and misfortune and said to watch over the household beneath them. This plate presents a wave rather than an oni face, but it is offered in the same spirit, as a dignified ornament for the home or study.

The plate is made in Japan of kawara, a traditional Japanese clay ceramic. It reflects a Japanese craft form long associated with roof ornamentation and brings that tradition into a refined display piece.

• Type: Okimono, relief plate ornament
• Motif: Great Wave with boats and cloud
• Material: Japanese ceramic (kawara)
• Color: Gray
• Origin: Japan
• Dimensions: length 3 cm x width 20 cm x height 20 cm
• Weight: 1 kg

About the seller: I am a craftsman in the kawara (Japanese traditional ceramics) trade myself. We are an authorized seller launched by like-minded companies within Japan's kawara industry, and we handle a wide range of kawara and onigawara from across the country. Every item is carefully inspected and packed in Japan and shipped directly to you.