Japanese potters

Shirai Hanshichi 9th 九代 白井半七

1928-1987kyo potteryThe previous Hanshichi VIII moved the kiln from Imado (Taito-ku, Tokyo) to Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture in 1939. Hanshichi IX built a kiln in Ohara, Hyogo Prefecture, and produced tea ceremony pottery, mainly from the works of Kenzan style. He moved his kiln from Takarazaka to Sanda in 1980. Both Hanshichi VIII and Hanshichi IX held a strong relationship with the traditional restaurant Hon-kitcho mainly through their tea wares. He leaves behind many works of kaiseki dishes wares and teacups under the kaiseki restaurant Kitcho. (more…)

Shirai Hanshichi 8th 八代 白井半七

1898-1949kyo potteryDue to the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, he moved to Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture.Becoming Hanshichi VIII, he created his family’s clay furnaces, as well as his own works such as Kenzan and Ninsei color paintings, Oribe ware, and tea wares. He laid the foundations for the family’s style from there on out.In 1939, he moved his kiln to Takarazuka City on the recommendation of Kobayashi Ichizo and others. (more…)

Ryubun Douanpei 2nd 二代 龍文堂安平

1779-1841maleAs also known as Shikata Ryubun. Born to first-generation caster Ryubun (or adopted), he inherited the family business in 1805 and was given the name Ryubun II.His strong point was his style of Chinese goods, and he left behind excellent works such as copper stationary, incense burners, bingake wares, etc. His work was favored by painters and calligraphers, and through that connection he became close friends with Raisan Yo and Aoki Mokubei. In his later years, he produced not only cast works, putting energy into creating fired pottery as well, of which he preferred making teacups and kyusu teapots. (more…)

Shofu Kajo 3rd 三代 松風嘉定

1870-1928malekyo potteryBorn the eldest son to Seto potter Inoue Ennen, he moved to Kyoto when his father was invited on to a ceramics company in Kyoto. Afterwards, he became the adopted son of the ceramics industry’s Shofu family, inheriting the name Shofu Kajo III.Introducing a number of new techniques and materials such as a ceramics firing technique and hard porcelain, and opening a coal-fired kiln, he established Shofu, Inc., mainly producing dyed works for overseas export. He became the head of the Kyoto Ceramics Industry Association, investing efforts into the Kyoto ceramics industry of the time.He also made a name (more…)

Shu hokuSho 朱北樵

1883-1960maleAfter graduating from university, he went to China to study under Li Ruiqing, a master of calligraphy, in 1906.In addition, after pursuing Nanga techniques and returning to Japan, he created a workshop (kiln) in Ikoma, Nara and put his efforts into creating pottery works in addition to calligraphy. He was known as Ima-Tessai (The Second Coming of Tomioka Tessai).Furthermore, his niece is the wife of Shimizu Kosho (Todaiji Head Priest), and he also taught Kosho. (more…)

Shogen Takumi 正元巧

1953-maletamba potteryBorn the eldest son to Shogen Naosaku, the 15th generation of the Tamba ware kiln, he studied under his father and inherited the traditional Tamba ware technique. In addition, he independently studied ash glaze that changes color through firing and Shiratamba to produce his contemporary works.He mainly exhibited his works at the Hyogo Prefectural Exhibition, the All Kansai Crafts Exhibition, the Japan Contemporary Crafts Exibition, the New Crafts Association Exhibition, the Issuikai Exhibition, etc., as well as at solo exhibitions. (more…)

Shibata Okyaku 柴田鴨脚

Late Edo Period –malerokyaku potteryOriginally a potter from Imari, Saga Prefecture, he was known as Shibata Zenpei (also known as Kihei). In 1876, he was invited on to the pottery company Eishinsha in Imari, Hyogo Prefecture. The following year, he was invited to teach pottery at Eiseisha in the same prefecture, and his apprentice was Nakagawa Rokyaku, who went on to create Rokyaku ware.He leaves behind a masterpiece in an unglazed handmade kyusu teapot. (more…)

Shimatani Keisuke 島谷啓介

1949-malekaratsu potteryHe entered the world of pottery through the influence of his uncle, a Karatsu ware craftsman. He independently studied fragments of old wares found in the remains of Karatsu kilns, creating works of his own. He won awards at the Kyushu Contemporary Crafts Exhibition and the Western Crafts Exhibition.In 1982, he opened a karagen kiln in Koda, Karatsu City (he moved the kiln to Chichika in 1989).He produced large sake cups and teacups in one of the traditional Karatsu ware techniques, Dagatsu Karatsu, which uses white and black (iron) glazes. (more…)

Shibukusa Ryuzo 渋草柳三

Late Edo Period – Presentmaleshibukusa potteryIn 1841, Toyoda Fujinosuke of Takayama Gundai in Hida, Takayama (Gifu Prefecture) invited potters from neighborhoods such as Seto to vitalize Shibukusa ware. Toda Ryuzo, one of the potters invited at the time, produced the tea sets, tableware, sake sets, etc. that he inherited through his family lineage. His style is to craft using both a spinning wheel and the stamping method, applying both red and iron images.Currently, Ryuzo VII remains active. (more…)

Shibaoka Koichi 柴岡紘一

1941-malebizen potteryAfter entering the Bizen Ceramics Center and becoming the first student in 1967 and learning ceramics basics, he trained under the Isezaki brothers Mitsuru and Atsushi for three years. He then opened his own kiln in his yard in 1971, becoming independent.Since winning his first award in 1968 at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, he has won award after award at exhibitions and was brought on as a regular member of the Japan Industrial Crafts Association in 1975.In 1987, he received the Minister of International Trade and Industry Honorable Mention for his success in various ceramics exhibitions such as (more…)

Shimada Fumio 島田文雄

1948-maleWhile enrolled in graduate school in 1974, he exhibited his work for the first time at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition and won an award for the first time. The following year, he received the Japan Industrial Craft Association Chairman’s Award at the Japan Traditional Crafts New Works Exhibition, and in 1977 he was appointed a regular member of the Japan Traditional Crafts Association. He received high praise from early on.In addition, he received the Japan Industrial Craft Association Chairman’s Award at the Japan Traditional Crafts Musashino Exhibition in 1981, the Japan Airlines Association’s Sora no Nichi Art Award in (more…)

Shimomura Ryonosuke 下村良之介

1923-1998maleAfter studying at Kyoto Arts and Crafts University, he studied at Kyoto Painting College. However, since this was during the war, he graduated early and joined the student movement.After the war, while working as an art teacher in middle and high schools, he resumed his work producing art. In 1949, he founded the Pan-serial Art Association with other young artist in Kyoto, exhibiting his works many times. Since exhibiting his work at the Pittsburgh International Contemporary Painting and Sculpture Exhibition in 1983, he continued presenting works at international exhibitions, open exhibitions, and group exhibitions. He received the 2nd Annual Mizue (more…)

Shogen Naosaku 正元直作

Taisho Period – maletamba pottteryNaosaku the 1st was from the Tensho Era, considered one of the representative famous artists of Tamba ware. He excelled in the use of black glaze that changed color through the firing process.This tradition has been passed on since then, with each generation learning it. The current generation, Shogen Naosaku XV (born 1924, appointed as a Prefectural Intangible Cultural Asset) focuses his work on tea bowls, and the next generation’s Isao (born 1953) remains active. (more…)

Shimizu Rakuzan 清水楽山

1894-1969maleFrom Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.From the age of 15 he trained in Banko ware, but since Banko ware was mass-produced at the time and he couldn’t demonstrate his individuality, he moved to Kyoto in 1922 to study Kyoto’s Kiyomizu ware.Afterwards, he visited many famous kilns in various regions before returning home. Later on, his kiln was certified in Kobori Somei’s Enshu style and he took on the pseudonym Soraku. (more…)

Shimizu Kosho 清水公照

1911-1999maleJoining Hogo-in at Todaiji Temple in 1927, he trained under Shimizu Kimitoshi (later his father-in-law) to become a formal Buddhist monk. After four years of zen training at Tairyuji Temple from 1933, he became the chief priest of Tadaiji Temple’s Tatchu Ryuzoin and Dojoin in 1937.He was dispatched to China during the war, but after returning to Japan in 1946 he became the chief priest of Todaiji Temple’s Hogo-in. In 1947, he founded Seisei Junior High School (renamed Todaiji Gakuen) in 1947, contributing to education through becoming director of Todaiji Kindergarten and Girls’ Academy in 1963. After becoming headmaster of (more…)

Shirai Hanshichi 白井半七

Early Edo Period – Presentimado potteryHanshichi I was from Imado, Asakusa, Musashi Province, and created unglazed roof tiles and course vessels in this same location. Hanshichi also worked as a potter there. However, it is known that he began working on “tofuro”, clay furnaces, around the Jokyo Period (1684-1688), as well as firing hibachis. He was the first to be called the Imado clay furnace master, and since then the name Hanshichi was inherited for generations. (He passed in 1732.) Hanshichi II inherited the clay furnace making business, but he began applying glaze to the roof tiles and making wares (more…)

Kobayashi Zentei (Undonin) 小林全鼎 (雲道人)

1880-1972maleAfter training at Tenryuji Temple at a young age, he had been active as an artist in a wide range of fields such as calligraphy, seal engraving, and pottery, and had deep friendships with leaders in the literary, painting, and Buddhist worlds . In particular, he got the backing of the chief priest of Kinkakuji Temple and Murakami Jikai to do a wide range of activities. In addition, he also served as a calligraphy instructor at Nihon University College of Art, and held solo exhibitions in various places. During the war, he lived in Kosaba, Yamaguchi Prefecture for evacuation and (more…)

Koie Koji 鯉江高司

1846-1912maletokoname potteryHe was a Tokoname-ware potter. The eldest son of Sakakibara Kojiro, he learned how to make bottles at the Inahachiro Kiln, and later learned the technique for manufacturing the earthen pipe, a method originated by his adoptive father Koie Hoju. .In the Meiji era, he learned sculpture from sculptor Kano Tessai, so that Tokoname-ware could be accepted internationally and artistically. He also did research on Satsuma, painted nishiki-e, and exhibited at the Philadelphia Expo and Paris Expo. Furthermore, in 1878, he brought over Kiyoto’s Kinshiko to Tokoname to carry out the manufacturing method of Chinese-style Kyusu (purple sand pots). (more…)

Kobashigawa Eisho 小橋川永昌

1877-1952maletsuboya potteryAlso known as Kobashigawa Nio. A potter from the Taisho-Showa era. For generations, the family was engaged in pottery at Tsuboya, a town of government kilns during the Ryukyu Kingdom era. He was the third generation branch of the Kobashigawa family line. He was excellent at glaze blending. Nio, Kinjo Jiro and Aragaki Eizaburo are affectionately known as the Tsuboya Three Men, as they brought public recognition to Okinawa’s representative pottery, Tsuboya pottery. (more…)