01 — THE JUDGMENT

  • 01The rough unglazed rim receives the literati line, then disappears
  • 02Interior depth around 3.8 cm — literati convention
  • 03On the powerful juniper the same pot grades △: too slight for that trunk; a rectangle first

◎THE CONVENTION — ROUND DRUM × UNGLAZED CLAY

Literati grammar itself.

  • PRESENCEA shallow unglazed round sits under a thin tall trunk like a single-stem vase
  • DEPTHThe shallowness balances the trunk's slightness

02 — THE POT

Local Artisan Choice

Chuck Iker primitive literati round, unglazed, 10" (26182)

Iker Bonsai Pots (artist direct)

Round drumUnglazed clayUSA (Batavia, Ohio)
Chuck Iker primitive literati round, unglazed, 10" (26182) — Iker Bonsai Pots (artist direct) product photo
Size
25.4 cm dia × 5.1 cm (interior ~3.8 cm)
Origin
USA (Batavia, Ohio) — page: signed artisan work, Ohio
Sold as
one-off, signed
Stock
In stock — checked Nov 11, 2026

$120shipping separate

Product page ↗

03 — FINISH THE DISPLAY

THE CONVENTIONS
  • Stand top one size larger than the pot (≈1/3); never let the pot overhang
  • Stands dark, low-sheen, quieter than the tree; thin board for literati, tall stand for cascade
  • Backdrop plain and muted; accents always smaller than the main tree, placed asymmetric — the margin leads
  • One soft light from above carves the shadow; a second light erases it
The ensemble, with real pieces and a $0 route →

04 — JAPANESE BLACK PINE, OTHER POTS

Japanese black pine in the Bigei beaded round (AI composite)
◎

Japanese Masterpiece / $325

Bigei beaded round

Literati grammar itself, in a Bigei.
Japanese black pine in the Yixing unglazed drum (AI composite)
○

First Practice / $59.95

Yixing unglazed drum

A drum round at the entry price.

About this pairing

Product data — Price, stock, size and origin are a snapshot of the listing on Nov 11, 2026. Plain link, no affiliate.

Image — The pot’s photograph belongs to Iker Bonsai Pots (artist direct). Rights holders: email [email protected] and we will remove it immediately.