Esteemed collector and founder of the Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park, San Diego. Martha Longenecker spent a lifetime traveling and collecting folk art and crafts from a variety of cultural traditions: India, Bhutan, Japan, as well as the Americas.

Museum quality crafts, textiles and ceramic from masters of historical and cultural significance, as well as mid-century modern furniture and a host of other eclectic pieces that pay homage to a legacy of crafts-men and women around the world.

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Some of the Items We Have Unearthed Include:

Many pieces by Tatsuzo Shimaoka (1919-2007)
He was a mingei potter who studied under Hamada Shoji and later became the second Living National Treasure of Japan. He was best known for his unique style of pottery and was a master of many slip decorating and firing techniques for pottery.  He worked collaboratively with a group of apprentices from Japan and abroad.  Martha Longenecker studied with him.  He is one of a few Japanese potters that has made the popular breakthrough in the west. His work is easily recognized and much sought after.

Works by Shōji Hamada (1894-1978)
He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century and a major figure of the mingei folk-art movement.  His works have been collected by museums across the world.  He is revered as the archetypal "Oriental" potter.  In 1955 he was designated a “Living National Treasure”.

3-Japanese Seto Stoneware Horse Eye Chargers
Interior decorated with a thick band of large brown whorls against a cream-glazed ground. 19th Century, 13, 14 and 15 inch diameters

Collection of painted ceramics by Masu Minagawa (1875 – 1960)

Large Slipware Bowl - Kenji  Funaki
Made by Kenji in the 1960s.  He studied with Hamada as well and was a major mingei potter of the 20th century.

Many pieces of Onta-ware
Vintage. It features a Tobikanna pattern created with a Tobikanna chattering tool.  Slip is added over greenware and then the Tobikanna is used to carve nicks out of the top layer.

Five Japanese teapots (ochre) made of clay, with a reed handle. Circa 1920’s

Shallow Bowl, 6.5”x1.5” by Otto and Gertrud Natzler
They were internationally known for their collaborative pottery from 1933–1971. The Natzlers worked together to create an expression of invisible unity, a feat for modern art. Gertrud focused on the form, which she skillfully created on the wheel, while Otto concentrated on the glaze.  He carefully chose the glaze and method of firing to match the form of Gertrud’s pots to always form the perfect skin.

Several bowls by Ueda Tsuneji
Ueda Tsuneji (1914-1987) was born the second son of a Kimono maker in Kyoto, the designs seen in his youth having a lasting impression on his work.  His work is in the permanent collection of the Japan Folk Craft Museum.

Five pieces by Laura Andreson (1902-1999)
A ceramic artist and educator in California whose works are sophisticated, subtle and serene. She started the ceramics program at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) where she taught for thirty-six years.  Her works are owned by most major museums with ceramic arts in the U.S. and abroad. As an educator, she had a profound influence on more than 5000 students.

Squared footed bowl, 4 3/16” X 2 ½” by Marg Loring (1905-1998)
A significant San Diego ceramist, Marg Loring graduated from San Diego High School and San Diego State University.

She was a founding member of the Allied Craftsmen and her Pt. Loma home was the site of her long-running pottery class. She also taught at the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego.

Two Sawankhalok , Thailand Stoneware Boxes and Covers.
14th-15th century.  Larger repaired

9“ X 6” Footed Raku bowl by ZAALBERG
Herman Zaalberg I (1880-1950) founded studio De Rijn in 1918. In 1937 the name was changed to Potterij Zaalberg, to incoorpotate his sons and grandsons.

Japanese Teapot - Takeuchi Seijiro (1921-1979)
Works in the SD Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum.

Lidded Box- Square, Blue & White by Kawai Takeichi (1908-1989)
He had a very prolific career as a mingei potter and studied with his legendary uncle Kawai Kanjiro.

His pieces are in museums throughout the world and in many private collections.

Spanish Tin Glazed Stoneware Bowl (Lebrillo) - 24” X 8”- antique pottery bowl was probably made in Granada. It is decorated with a lead glaze decoration in morisco green over a milk white slip.