Vintage Japanese pigment dish with box shallow ceramic ink dish violet pigment pan artist supply

A vintage Japanese ceramic pigment dish, found with its original paper box and still holding fragments of deep violet pigment.

Shallower than the others in the set, this piece has a beautiful low profile with a softly crackled glaze and a dark stained rim where the pigment has settled over time. The remaining pigment has fractured into rich, inky shards, almost sculptural in itself, with tones shifting between black and violet.

The box carries printed Japanese characters, adding to its quiet studio history, likely once part of a traditional artist’s pigment set.

Condition is good vintage. The dish is intact with no structural damage, just natural age wear and pigment staining from use. The pigment itself is dried and broken into pieces. The box shows age, softening, and marks consistent with time.

Measurements
Diameter: 7.5 cm
Depth: 1.5 cm

A beautiful object in its own right, somewhere between tool and artwork.

Repurposing ideas
use as a small ink or pigment mixing dish
display as a studio object or curiosity
hold rings, pins, or small findings on a worktable
incorporate into a still life or creative space
use fragments in mixed media work or collage