Japanese pottery and porcelain

Iga pottery 伊賀焼

Iga pottery has a long history, and its roots can be traced back roughly 1200 years to the Tenpyo era (729–749), when farmers began to fire the vessels they used while farming.Owing to its origins near the historical Yamato region, Iga ware has long been at the core of Japanese culture. Historical influence from the Nara court was key to the style’s development. Over time, artisans began specializing in pottery, culminating in the late Muromachi period, when Taro Dayu and Jiro Dayu founded the Iga ware style. Later, in 1584 (Tensho 12), Tsutsui Sadatsugu, under instructions from the lord of (more…)

Inuyama pottery 犬山焼

Inuyama ware was developed on the commission of the Inuyama clan in the 19th century. The Inuyama style, a Gosu red painting design of the Lord of Inuyama Castle, Naruse Masanaga, is patterned after Chinese Ming Dynasty Gosu red painting and many tea articles are made using the characteristic cloud brocade pattern, which includes Korin-style cherry blossoms and maple leaves.During the long history of Inuyama ware, the kiln has faced closure many times, but craftsmen ranked alongside Kyoto’s Okuda Eisen, such as Dohei and Ozeki Sakujuro Nobunari, have worked hard to revive it. During the Edo Genroku era (1688-1704), a (more…)

Hagi pottery 萩焼

Hagi ware emerged over 400 years ago. It is a type of Japanese pottery very identifiable for its mixed clay made with three type soils (Daido soil, Mitake soil and Mishima soil) and the use of a feldspar glaze. It originated after the Imjin War (1592-1597) with the ‘Lee Brothers’ potters from Korea. A feature of the clay is that it is comparatively soft and absorbent. Hagi tea bowls are perfect for green tea. The more often you use them, the greater their charm, as the surface develops a patina from properties in the tea penetrating the inside of the (more…)

Echizen pottery 越前焼

Echizen, home to one of the six old pottery styles of Japan, was originally a site where Sue wares were manufactured. However, in the late Heian period, following the adoption of technology from Tokoname, Echizen started to produce pottery. Though Echizen pottery at the time was unglazed, the highly-vitreous nature of Echizen’s soil ensured that the wares did not leak. In addition, ash from the wood fuel would fuse with the exterior surface of the wares, producing beautiful green patterns.By the late Muromachi period, an enormous kiln, over 25 meters across, had been built in the town of Echizen, allowing (more…)

Bizen pottery 備前焼

Bizen ware is Japan’s oldest pottery-making technique, introduced during the Heian period (794-1192). It is a type of pottery identifiable by its iron-like hardness, reddish brown color, absence of glaze, and markings resulting from its wood-burning kiln firing. The surface of Bizen ware is entirely dependent on yohen (discoloration of the ceramic by the kiln). Characteristic features include Hidasuki, a red and brown fire-cord decoration created by rice straw wrapped around pieces, and Enokihada, a hackberry glaze spotting produces by pine ash. Bizen Ware Clay I sometimes go to ceramics manufacturers to learn about ceramics. While most pottery you see (more…)

Banko pottery 萬古焼

About 260 years ago, in the middle of the Edo era, there lived a wealthy merchant by the name of Nunami Rozan. Rozan, having a deep knowledge of traditional tea ceremony, had an interest in the art of ceramics. With a desire to let his creations be handed down and used eternally, his ceramics were stamped with the words “Banko Fueki”, meaning “constant eternity,” and from that the name banko ware was born. The craft of such banko ware ceased with the passing away of Rozan. However, during the later stages of the Edo period, the fire crafting of banko (more…)

Izushi porcelain 出石焼

Izushi ware is white porcelain. The ware is synonymous with a porcelain surface which is said to be a “white that is too white,” and the porcelain engraving that takes advantage of this. Izushi ware has been designated a traditional craft of Japan. Izushi kiln had been a kiln for pottery wares, but in 1789, Chinzaemon Nihachiya struck on the idea of firing porcelain. He borrowed money from Izushi Domain and spent several weeks in Arita learning porcelain production before returning to Izushi with potters.from Arita. He then attempted to start porcelain production, but met with little success due to (more…)

Kankake pottery 神懸焼

A type of pottery with roots in Hiraga Gennai’s work, produced in Shodoshima. It was founded on 1875 (Meiji era, year 8). It specializes in tea pottery, which began to be made as a souvenir of the Kankakei Valley. It uses Shodoshima soil, which is less sticky, and is characterized by a technique called “string making”, which stretches it in a string shape and winds it. It shows a rich, expressive glaze because differently colored is applied twice. The baking method is the same as Raku-yaki’s. It is a traditional craft of Kagawa Prefecture. (more…)

Arita porcelain (Imari) 有田焼 (伊万里)

Old Imari is quite probably the most famous Japanese ceramic product in the world. China, the dominant exporter of porcelain, fell into internal disturbances in 1644 and it became hard to obtain Chinese products. The west requested Japan to step up production of porcelain instead of China because Europe did not have the techniques to make porcelain at that time. Thus substantial amounts of Japanese porcelain ware were made in the town of Arita and exported to Europe from the port of Imari by the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) from the late 17th to early 18th century in order to (more…)

Asahi pottery 朝日焼

Asahi ware is the pottery produced in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. As the cultivation of Uji-cha blossomed, so did the demand for making tea ceremony utensils. It was selected as one of the Enshu Nanagama during the Edo period. Remaining anecdotes claim that due to the rise in popularity of tea ceremony in the Momoyama period, founder Okamura Jiroueimon Fujisaku received high praise from The ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi and revised his technique and name – ever since, Asahi ware has been a source of great praise. With the second generation of potters, Kobori Enshu took patronage of Asahi ware, and (more…)

Akahada pottery 赤膚焼

Akahada ware is the pottery of Nara City and Yamatokoriyama City in Nara Prefecture, a region dotted with ceramic workshops. Although its origin is unclear, it is said that during the Momoyama period, the lord of Yamatokoriyama, Toyotomi Hidenaga, first built a workshop on Akahada Mountain in the village of Gojo.In the later Edo period, a potter Okuda Mokuhaku painted Nara-e on akahada ware and its became very popular among tea ceremony masters.The kiln was counted as one of the Enshu Nanagama.  Nara-ePicture book illustrations with colored brushstrokes, themed around old stories (mainly fairy tales), Noh songs and so on, (more…)

Agano pottery 上野焼

Agano ware refers to pottery fired in Tagawagun kawara-machi, Fukuchi-machi, and Oto-machi in Fukuoka Prefecture. At the beginning of the Edo period, when Hosokawa Tadaoki, himself a well-known practitioner of tea ceremony, was appointed lord of the Komura province, he summoned a Korean potter Sokai (Agano Kizou), traveled up to Agano in the Toyosaki province and constructed a workshop – thus began Agano ware. So well-loved by tea ceremony artisans that it was counted as one of the Enshu Nanagama during the Edo period. Agano ware specializes in its variety of enamels used, as well as the natural patterns produced (more…)