Japanese potters

Kamide Kizan 3rd 三代 上出喜山

1898-1972malekutani porcelainBorn in Kaga. Focused primarily on Kutani-ware. Regular member of the Japan Kogei Association. Studied pottery making at the Kiyomizu-ware Dohachi kiln and studied Japanese painting under Mizuta Takeshi. First selected for the 7th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1960, followed by many more exhibition selections. (more…)

Kato Tahe 加藤太兵衛

Early Edo Periodmaleseto potteryGrandson of Kato Karasaburo (Kagesada). A man of Owari-Akatsu. Starting in 1658, he established kilns for the Nagoya domain. His three kilns, including Karasaburo and Nibei, were known as Mikiya Sanke. (more…)

Kato Sakusuke 加藤作助

1808-1893maleseto potteryReal name Sakube. Born into Owari Akatsu’s family of potters, he took over the family business as Kato Kagekiyo and was known for producing both Japanese and Western ceramics for daily use such as sake sets and tea sets. Renamed Sakusuke in his later years. Primarily focused on Furutabe and Kizeto studied by each generation of his family, specializing in tea-ware. (more…)

Kato Sosetsu 加藤素雪

1834-?Worked in Seto Mino-ware. Son of Kato Seisuke. As a descendant of Shunkei, he ran a ceramics sales business under the name of Yamasueya. Fond of the tea ceremony and calligraphy, particularly including distorted shapes. (more…)

Kato Shuntan 加藤春丹

?-1807maleseto potterySon of Kato Shunsei (19th generation) who worked in ceramics in the Seto kiln making Seto-ware. Specialized in tea-ware, particularly Seto-kuro, Oribe, and hand-twisted varieties. (more…)

Kato Shungyo 加藤春暁

?-1808maleseto potteryA potter in Seto, he worked as a kiln master making ceramics for the Owari clan.The 6th generation Shungyo (1862-1935) made a name for himself as a master of Seto kuro-ware and Shino-ware, but the business closed down in the 7th generation. (more…)

Kato Shunka 加藤春花

-1884seto potteryDescendant of Kato Kihei, an associate of the Seto-ware potter Kato Motomura in the Onin period (1467-68), Kato Shunka is said to have been active in the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he was known at the time as a good worker. He was adept at painting with his fingernails, and left quite a few of these paintings when he died in 1884. His third son Tokusaburo Masanobu succeeded him as the second Shunka, but and in 1935. His first signature uses an oval mark and the second uses a frameless mark. (more…)

Kawata Ranzan 川田蘭山

1881-1957oto potteryWorked in Kochi Oto-yaki. Following retirement began working in ceramics during the disastrous abolition of the Oto kiln and put all his efforts into rebuilding the kiln. (more…)

Kadoya Masakichi 加登屋政吉

Tenpo period (1831-1845)-?maleohi potteryWorked under the name Goryu-Ken. Worked mostly in Ohi-ware. Studied under Ohi Kanbei (5th generation). Ceramic work primarily focused on Raku-style teabowls. (more…)

Kamei Miraku 13th 十三代 亀井味楽

1883-1956maletakatori potteryBorn the eldest son of Takatori Kyusuke Jusen, the 11th generation producer of Takatori-ware, but the family lost patronage from the local domain and was forced to work independently, which caused many of their kilns to close. At age 20, he took over the Higashi-Sarayama kiln in Fukuoka and renamed it Kameyama Miraku kiln after the Yamabushi training ground Homanzan Kameyamabo in the mountains behind Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine. In the ensuing years, he deepened the study of traditional Takatori-ware and continued to produce primarily tea-ware. In 1944, his efforts in reviving traditions were honored when he was named as (more…)

Kameya Kyokutei 亀屋旭亭

1825-?malekyo potteryWorked with Kiyomizu-ware at the Asahitei kiln. Son of Sakuragi Seikichi. Studied under Miyata Kameju. Had Ito Tozan as a pupil. (more…)

Kawamoto Jihyoe 2nd 二代 川本治兵衛

1801-1865malePrimarily focused on Seto blue and white dyed ceramics. Son of the first generation Jihyoe. Made great contributions along with Kawamoto Hansuke to modern Seto porcelain dyeing. His eldest son was Inoue Ryosai (2nd generation) who was active as a pioneer in Meiji ceramics in Sumida, Tokyo. (more…)

Kawamoto Hansuke 4th 四代 川本半助

?-1857maleseto potteryWorked under the name Masue-en. He was the 4th generation Hansuke of a group of potters working in the area for many generations, and he is known for having shifted the focus from pottery kiln to porcelain production during the Bunka period (1804-1818). With his constant exploration of porcelain firing techniques, he is considered one of the true master craftsmen of history. During the Tenpo period (1830-1843) he developed a method of producing porcelain with an elegant luster via crushing Giyaman diamonds and this became very popular as a method of production along with his use of Shonzui styles. (more…)

Kamei Hanji 亀井半二

?-1851maleA painter from Seto. He first worked for Mori Takamasa, primarily focusing on bijin-ga (paintings of beautiful women), but later moved to Kyoto where he was under the patronage of Yamamoto Baiitsu. Worked in Chinese-style dyed painting and gold-painted porcelain in the kilns of Kawamoto Osamu and Kawamoto Hansuke. Such works made by Kawamoto Osamu’s kiln (Kansendo) or Kawamoto Hansuke (Shintoen) are generally marked with the characters “Hanji” or stamped or hand-painted with wonderful Chinese-style paintings on gosu porcelain. Those with the inscriptions “Hanji” and “Seito” are collectively known as Hanjiyaki. (more…)

Kamiguchi Guro 上口愚朗

1892-1970maleBorn in Tokyo. Self-taught ceramics artist who took advantage of his friendship with Munakata Shiko and Kawakita Handeishi. Ito, Shino and other Duliu-style works. Many of his pieces are unnamed. (more…)

Kato Gosuke 4th 四代 加藤五助

1839-1905maleseto porcelainBorn the eldest son of Kato Gosuke (3rd generation), he was named 4th generation Kato Gosuke in 1863, continuing a line of potters in Seto that had been working there for many generations. Also worked under the name Todamaen. In 1874, he succeeded in establishing an overseas export route through the Kyoto Mitsui Group, aiming to expand overseas exports via improved technology. He was truly one of the pioneering artists of the Seto porcelain industry and was highly honored at domestic and overseas exhibitions. (more…)

Kato Gorohachi 加藤五郎八

?-1900maleseto potteryWorked at the Seto/Akazu kilns. Younger brother of Kato Goroshichi. Studied under Kato Shuntai. In the beginning of the Meiji era, he made a lot of pottery at the Shinano kiln. (more…)

Kaga Gekka 加賀月華

1890-1937malebanko potteryStudied ceramics under his uncle Kotani Torajiro, founder of Banko-ware in Yokkaichi, with his younger brother Kaga Mizuyama. Took his studies to new lengths with research into Nunami Rozan, said to be the founder of Banko-ware, and studied ceramics at Itaya Hazan, making great efforts along with his brother to revive Kuwana Banko. He also had a deep friendship with Kawakita Handeishi, who came from the same hometown. (more…)

Kanzan Denshichi 幹山伝七

1821-1890malekyo porcelaintoko porcelainStarting from the second year of Bunkyu (1862) he worked making Koto-ware for Ii Naosuke of the Hikone domain until the kiln was abandoned. He then moved to Kyoto where he established the fist kiln dedicated to producing porcelain and worked under the name Terao Denshichi. In the first year of the Meiji era (1868) he worked to supply the Kyoto Prefectural Office, following which he studied 13 styles of Western painting (such as Western cobalt) under Wagner and produced Japan’s first Western-style paintings. In the following three years, production was renamed Matsuuntei and he worked under the (more…)