In a world dominated by rushed and often unconscious choices, AGOBAY advocates for a change of pace: we encourage taking the time, to create with intent and to celebrate handmade design that feels, sounds and smells good.

In a world dominated by rushed and often unconscious choices, AGOBAY advocates for a change of pace: we encourage taking the time, to create with intent and to celebrate handmade design that feels, sounds and smells good. Collaborating with artisans who have mastered their skills over decades, each object we craft or curate undergoes an elaborate manufacturing process. With every use, these pieces evolve in beauty, and embody a deliberate choice made to last and enchant throughout a lifetime.

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The perfect pieces

Meaningful Objects

Objects

The Perfect Pieces

In a hurried world dominated by rushed and often unconscious choices, AGOBAY advocates for a change of pace: we encourage taking the time, to create with intent, to honour traditional craftsmanship, and to celebrate handmade design that feels, sounds and smells good.

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Handcrafted products are built to last. Not only in a practical sense, due to the invested expertise, time and high-quality materials, but also on an emotional level. When we see, smell and touch these creations, our senses awaken.

Handcrafted products are built to last, not only in a practical sense due to the invested expertise, time, and high-quality materials, but also on an emotional level. From delicate irregularities in leather pouches to subtle glaze variations on ceramic bowls – each nuance narrates a story and reflects the artisan’s personality. These marks of authenticity not only remind us of humanity’s ability to transform raw materials into functional works of art but also make each item even more precious and personal.

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Craftsmanship

CRAFTSMANSHIP

A Path to Perfection

A perfectly shaped ceramic bowl – with subtle variation in its glaze. A soft leather pouch – featuring a delicate irregularity in its texture. A gleaming brass vessel – gradually changing hue with every touch. As we hold an artisanal product in our hands, it's often only through closer inspection that we notice its unique characteristics and realise that it has been crafted by hand, from natural material, with an abundance of time, expertise and dedication. This is the captivating beauty of craftsmanship.

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Travel tea caddy

Crafted by the Yagi family for six generations, Kaikado caddies are handmade in Kyoto, Japan. Known as ‘chazutsu’ in Japanese (‘cha’ is the Japanese word for tea, ‘zutsu’ for canister), they are typically used for storing tea and coffee; this one specifically to store green tea whilst travelling. However, this beauty can also hold various other items that you want to keep safe whilst discovering new escapes.

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Za kekkai stone 号42

Wrapped in Seima rope made from the finest Japanese hemp, Tosei Shinabe za kekkai stones serve as a silent testament, a Dharma tool, to the boundary between two spiritual realms, a line as delicate as it is profound.

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Stoneware vase (2024)

Helga Ritsch sculpts her ceramics in a secluded mountain village. The earthy grey-brown tones of this small bulbous vase echo her environment. A smudgy touch of blue punctuates the neutral palette, and a smooth glaze offsets the roughness of the stoneware.

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Za kekkai stone 号41

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Za kekkai stone 号39

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Za kekkai stone 号43

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Za kekkai stone 号40

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Za kekkai stone 号26

In the quietness of the dawn at one of Kyoto’s oldest Zen temples, Buddhist Zen monk Tosei Shinabe sits in deep meditation, practising 'zazen' (‘za’ 坐, Japanese for seated and ‘zen’ 禅 for meditation). His journey takes him to the mystical Awaji Island, the 'land of birth' in Japanese mythology, where he selects stones imbued with the earth's raw beauty. Wrapped in Seima rope made from the finest Japanese hemp, his ‘za kekkai’ stones serve as a silent testament, a Dharma tool, to the boundary between two spiritual realms, a line as delicate as it is profound.

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Bulbous vase (small, 2024)

While it may be diminutive in size and delicate in appearance, this white vase commands presence. Taking it gently into your palm, you will feel that it also has a pleasing weight to it – more than perhaps anticipated for an object just 12cm wide.

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Za kekkai stone 号31

In the quietness of the dawn at one of Kyoto’s oldest Zen temples, Buddhist Zen monk Tosei Shinabe sits in deep meditation, practising ‘zazen’ (‘za’ 坐, Japanese for seated and ‘zen’ 禅 for meditation). His journey takes him to the mystical Awaji Island, the ‘land of birth’ in Japanese mythology, where he selects stones imbued with the earth‘s raw beauty. Wrapped in Seima rope made from the finest Japanese hemp, his ‘za kekkai’ stones serve as a silent testament, a Dharma tool, to the boundary between two spiritual realms, a line as delicate as it is profound.

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Za kekkai stone 号33

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Za kekkai stone 号30

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Za kekkai stone 号32

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Za kekkai stone 号24

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Za kekkai stone 号16

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Za kekkai stone 号27

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Za kekkai stone 号21

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Two-toned bowl with engraving

The use of colour on this bowl is derived from ‘Sansai’, a type of decoration that was applied to ancient Chinese pottery between the 7th and 10th centuries. Green, brown and white were traditionally used for this style, but here the Japanese artist Shingo Oka has chosen black pigment from Karatsu, where he lives, and blue ‘Gosu’ pigment. An embossed pattern inspired by old Vietnamese bowls covers the interior for a textural flourish.

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Small white jar

Designed to be used as a tea caddy, this petite lidded jar features a pattern of hand-carved lines that pleases both hand and eye. It has been crafted from porcelain in the ‘Licho’ style, dating back to the Yi Dynasty in ancient Korea. The Japanese artist, Shingo Oka, can be found most days at his pottery wheel, drawing out what lies within, which includes a deep knowledge of ceramic history.

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‘Tokkuri’ pitcher with motif

Referencing ancient ceramic styles is a recurring theme in Shingo Oka’s work. His mastery and individualism, however, lie in putting his own contemporary spin on them. This diminutive porcelain ‘Tokkuri’ pitcher has been created in the ‘Licho’ style, which dates back to the Yi Dynasty of Korea, founded in the 14th century. From the same period, the drawing motif is reminiscent of early Japanese ‘Imari’ styles.

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‘Tokkuri’ pitcher with ‘Somon’ drawing

Inspired by early Japanese ‘Imari’ styles, this ‘Tokkuri’ pitcher has a beautifully aged appeal. It features ‘Somon’ drawings, which are patterns resembling growing grass. Shingo Oka also describes it as having a “very 1600s” aesthetic.

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‘Tokkuri’ field pitcher

This earthy brown pitcher features a motif at its centre of a hand-drawn field. Varying shades, from cream to dark neutrals, are streaked through the material, reflecting the mountainous environment in which Shingo Oka lives and works.

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Vietnamese ‘Tokkuri’ pitcher

In Japan, ceramic ‘Tokkuri’ pitchers are often used for serving sake. Shingo Oka’s ‘Tokkuri’ has a hand-thrown appeal and is finished with blue drawings, reminiscent of those on Vietnamese ceramics, which have a smudged effect.

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White ‘Tokkuri’ pitcher

This porcelain ‘Tokkuri’ pitcher has a pure white glazing, hidden beneath a covering of ash that is applied to the exterior before being baked in a wood kiln. Traditionally designed for warm sake, it can also be used as a vase.