Japanese potters

Tayama Honan 田山方南

1903-1980maleGraduated from Imperial University and joined the Ministry of Education, devoting himself to the study of old calligraphy from China and Japan. He made many achievements over the years as he worked for the recognition, preservation, and assessment of national treasures and cultural assets. Apart from calligraphy he also studied Ming dynasty and old Japanese pottery, and eventually started pottery himself. (more…)

Daimaru Hokuho 2nd 二代 大丸北峰

1916-2010malekyo potteryAlso as known as Heian Hokuho II. A famous sencha utensil ceramist, specializing in white porcelain and sometsuke techniques. Born Tatsuo, he is the second in the Daimaru family of potters. Worked at the National Ceramic Research Institute. Studied under his father, Daimaru Hokuho I, and Kiyomizu Rokubey VI. Became a member of Nitten and was purchased by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Recipient of the Nitten Exhibition Craft Award, the Yomiuri Newspaper Award, and a judge. Served as a judge for the Kyoto Exhibition and the All Kansai Exhibition. Director of the Kyoto Industrial Arts Association. (more…)

Tahara Tobe 13th 十三代 田原陶兵衛

1951-malehagi potteryThe eldest son of Tahara Tobei XII. After receiving a graduate degree from Musashino Art University in 1975, he went on to study under Nakazato Shigetoshi in Karatsu for two years to deepen his knowledge of ceramics. He then entered the Japan Kogei Art Crafts Exhibition in 1979 and 1980, both times winning honorable mention, and own this award in 1991 as well.He won honorable mention at the Yamaguchi Exhibition in 1982 and 1987, and from 1990 began submitting his work to the Japan Traditional Kogei Art Crafts Exhibition, Japan Kogei Art Crafts Exhibition Yamaguchi chapter, and West Japan (more…)

Takahashi Shunsai 高橋春斎

1927-2011maleshigaraki potteryThe second son of Takahashi Rakusai III. He grew up with his brother(Rakusai IV) watching his father work, eventually aspiring to become a Shingaku ware ceramist himself.He studied at the Saga Ceramic Research Center, Kyoto Prefectural Ceramists’ Technical Institute, and so on, and after further honing his skills established his own kiln in 1968. (more…)

Tahara Tobe 12th 十二代 田原陶兵衛

1925-1991malehagi potteryThe second son of Tahara Korai Tobe, he learned pottery from his father and brother(Tahara Tobe XI) and started working in the family business only to later be drafted in the war.Began ceramics in earnest after the war, and after the death of his brother inherited the Tobe name. In addition to the traditional Tahara family techniques he studied Goryeo and Korean pottery on his own as well as Urasenke style tea ceremony, and devoted himself to making teaware.Carried on the “Tobe Hagi” style characteristic of the Tahara family, and often made pieces of Master Urasenke’s taste.Was also an (more…)

Takahashi Dohachi 7th 七代 高橋道八

1910-1983malekyo potteryGraduated from Kyoto City University of the Arts with a degree in sculpting.Worked on traditional sometsuke tea bowls the most, and inherited the Dohachi name in 1941.On the side he would study and imitate the works of his ancestor Ninnami Dohachi.He would also make replications of Ninsei’s tea and dessert bowls, honing his painting skills. (more…)

Takahashi Dohachi 6th 六代 高橋道八

1881-1941malekyo potteryThe second son of Dohachi IV, he inherited the name in 1915. He was loyal to the Dohachi tradition in making his ceramics, and was especially skilled at making sometsuke tea bowls.He also had strong ties with Makuzu II and Kiyomizu Rokubey, trying his hand at underglazed pottery as well, and presented a large vase at the coronation of His Majesty the Emperor in 1928. (more…)

Takahashi Dohachi 5th 五代 高橋道八

1870-1915malekyo potteryThe husband of the daughter of Dohachi IV, who was taken into the family due to the Dohachi heir being still too young to succeed his father. He also deepened relations with famous families such as Mitsui and Konoike families.Passed away at the young age of 46. (more…)

Takahashi Dohachi 4th 四代 高橋道八

1845-1897malekyo potteryThe son of Dohachi III. Inherited the name in 1872.He not only preserved the techniques and traditions of the Takahashi family but built upon them as well, improving glazes as well as inventing new ones.Also served in various official posts such as a judge at various exhibitions, industrial officer of Kyoto, and professor at Kyoto Arts and Crafts University, making great contributions to the art world. (more…)

Takahashi Dohachi 3rd 三代 高橋道八

1811-1879malekyo potteryInherited his father’s style, and was especially skilled at brush marks and making Mishima ware.In his last years he was encouraged by Hizen Arita to start teaching pottery. His students include Miura Chikusen I. (more…)

Taniguchi Ryozo 谷口良三

1926-1996maleBorn in Kyoto. Studied under Kiyomizu Rokubey VI. He was selected for the Nitten exhibition for the first time in 1951. He was awarded the Nitten Special Prize, Hokuto Prize, Kikka Prize, and was a judge. Won the first prize at the Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition of Japan. Awarded the Koyu Prize at the Kofu-kai Exhibition and the Tsujinaga Memorial Prize. Award of the Ceramic Society of Japan. Japan Contemporary Craft Exhibition, Craft Prize, Juror. Judge, Kyoto Exhibition. Participated in various international exhibitions. Solo exhibitions at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Department Store and others. Works mainly with blue glaze and Karin (pseudocydonia) (more…)

Satake Tomizo 4th 四代 佐竹富三

1930-2005maleaizuhongo potteryTomisaburo, the second son of Satake Tomitaro, set up a branch family and opened the Tomizo kiln with the name Hakuhodo, and inscribed with the name Tomizo. As the 4th generation, he specializes in camellias and has preserved the traditional Aizuhongo-ware. (more…)

Sawada Nankyu 澤田南久

1845-1922malekutani porcelainHe was a potter of Kutani-ware in the Meiji era, and studied under his uncle Kushiro at the age of 12, but in haste after that he studied by himself and opened a pottery workshop in the first year of Bunkyu calling it Nankyu.In 1880, he studied Japanese painting under Kishikokei, also learned ceramic painting from Notomi Kaijiro, and then learned about Western paints etc., from Wagner.He frequently exhibited at Gongjinhui and National Expo, and served as the deputy president of the Ceramics Guild of Nomi-gun in 1886. His pupils such as Kasama Ichimatsu and Kajimoto Seizan, later supported (more…)

Sasaki Niroku 佐々木二六

1857-1935maleniroku potteryBorn in Muramatsu Village, Uma County (now Shikokuchuo City). His real name is Rokutaro. Born into a family involved in tile manufacturing for generations.He took over the family’s tile manufacturing business.In 1883, while in Tokushima, he was impressed by the live dolls of Matsumoto Kisaburo, one of Japan’s foremost Kumamoto doll makers, and became passionate about doll making.　He visited potteries in various parts of Japan for further research, and in 1887, he came up with the idea of carving the opposite side of Soma ware of Fukushima Prefecture, focusing on the raised carvings. He studied carving landscapes, flowers and (more…)

Sawamura Tosai 3rd 三代 澤村陶哉

1951-malekyo potteryBorn as the eldest son of the second generation Tosai, he did extensive training at a cooperative noborigama(climbing kiln) in Gojozaka for about 10 years from 1965. After that, he made pottery with his father, and built the climbing Garyu kiln in Tamba/Mizuho in 1985. In 1995, he succeeded to the name of 3rd generation Tosai. bowl 43,600 JPY 京都市東山区清水1-287 www.gojo-chawanzaka.jp澤村陶哉│作家紹介│-清水寺参道- 京都清水 五条坂・茶わん坂 (more…)

Sasaki Takeshi 佐々木猛

1897-1979maleBorn in Tokyo. He graduated from the Industrial Design Department of the Tokyo Higher Technical School, entered the Tokyo University of the Arts, and after dropping out, he would become involved in such work as reproducing paintings. He moved to Kansai in 1936, and took teaching jobs in Himeji, Toyooka, and Tatsuno, etc. He built a kiln in Uozumi, Akashi in 1957, and continued to produce in the area of Akashi until his death. (more…)

Saka Koraizaemon 12th 十二代 坂高麗左衛門

1949-2004malehagi potteryReal name is Saka Tatsuo. At university and graduate school, he mainly did research on Japanese painting techniques for solo exhibitions, but after graduating from graduate school, he married the daughter of the 11th generation Saka Koraizaemon of the Hagi-yaki Kiln, Saka Motoko and entered the Saka family as a son-in-law. He started pottery from 1984 after being at the Kyoto Industrial Research Institute for Ceramics and presented works at the Traditional Crafts New Work Exhibition, and the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition etc. In 1988, he received the NHK Yokohama Broadcasting Award in a New Works Exhibition, and in (more…)

Sakamoto Noboru 坂本昇

Meiji period-?malekonko potteryBorn in Konko-cho, Asakuchi-gun, Okayama Prefecture. He traveled to Korea to so research on ceramics and returned to Japan in 1925.He invited an engineer to build a German-style coal kiln, and made tea bowls, pots, flower vases, etc., in the style of Korean pottery, and named it Konko-yaki based on the place name it is from. (more…)

Sakai Hiroshi 酒井博司

1960-maleshino potteryHe graduated from Nagoya Institute of Technology in 1983, and following that graduated from Tajimishi Tojikiisho Research Institute in 1985 (studying under Kato Kozo).He has been widely active as he exhibited at Asahi Ceramics Exhibition starting in 92 and then in 94, 95, 9, and 2000, participated in Biennale Ceramics in 95, 97, 99, exhibited at Mashiko Ceramics Exhibition in 98, 2000, 2002, participated in the International Ceramics Exhibition Mino(receiving the Silver Award in 2002), exhibited for the first time in the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 2001, participated in the 53rd Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition(Italy) in 2003, and (more…)