Studio Pottery Ikebana Vase by With Expressionistic Black and Dark Green Glazing hinged box The latch on the turtle's

The latch on the turtle's back swings open to reveal that it is in fact a box of sorts

or certainly as part of a collection alongside other beautiful boxes or lacquerware

with just a couple of loose/broken pieces of grass at the very outside edge

I am guessing mid 19th century

This sifting or winnowing basket

Studio Pottery Ikebana Vase by With Expressionistic Black and Dark Green Glazing hinged box The latch on the turtle'sOne need not be a skilled practitioner of ikebana to make striking use of this beautifully crafted ikebana vase, which lends itself to the display of a couple of small sprigs or something significantly more dramatic. Hand thrown, the vase is animated with expressionistically applied glazes of inky black and dark green. Signed Mostrom, I believe it was created by Thomas Field Mostrom (1959 2005), a ceramic artist who founded the Rare Earth Mudworks in