Long before his apprenticeship with Shinji Suzuki, Michael Hagedorn made bonsai pots.
Blue glazed pot
The pots were made under the name Crataegus. They are well-known for their quality build, glazes, and suitability for bonsai.
Nanban-style unglazed pot
Michael’s attention to detail is noteworthy. The tie-down holes are in useful locations and the pots drain well when placed on flat surfaces.
Trademark Crataegus squiggles
Grooves for wire and white clay dot above the Crataegus chop
His glazes tended to feature muted colors that complement trees well.
Green oval
Grey cascade
Shallow round
His pots came in different colors, styles and sizes.
Small blue round
Shallow round unglazed pot
Shallow bowl
Some of his smaller work is fantastic. A handful of you may have one of his boat (or iron) pots in the garden.
Boat pot
Iron pot
And then there’s the classic 11-sided accent pot.
Accent pot
11-sided pot
Small accent pot
Glazed accent pot
Round green accent pot
Shallow bowl
Brown glazed accent pot
And here are my three smallest Hagedorn pots in red, blue and white.
Small red, blue and white bonsai pots
There are a number of Hagedorn pots out there. If you see one, pick it up – there may not be another like it. And when you get home, catch up with Michael at crataegus.com and thank him for his contributions to bonsai and bonsai pots.
Then re-read his book, Post-Dated. It’s one of my favorites.
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