edo period

Ikeda Monpei 池田門平

Late Edo Period-Meiji EramaleAlthough his dates of birth and death are unknown, the 1st generation Ikeda Monpei was a potter who started a kiln near Seta no Karahashi Bridge in Omi Province around the Bakumatsu and created Raku ware. It is said that he added paintings of Karahashi Bridge to tea sets, sake sets, and various containers and called them Seta ware (Seta Monpei ware). Once the Meiji era began, the 2nd generation Monpei gathered artisans and fired general earthenware in addition to Raku ware to expand the scale. (more…)

Iwanami Gyokuzan 岩波玉山

Late Edo Period-Meiji Erakutani porcelainA Kutani ware painter from Kanazawa in the early Meiji era.Was known as a master of painting ceramics and overglazes and is said to have worked at Minzan kiln and Abe Omi’s kiln.First created flower bases, plates, and other works, with a focus on tea sets for green tea, with Miyamoto kiln-style red paintings. Later made flower vases, jars, tableware, and other mostly porcelain works with highly colorful Western-style designs to be exported. Created masterpieces. (more…)

Raku Ichigen 楽一元

1662-1722maletamamizu potteryThe illegitimate child (born to a mistress) of the 4th generation Raku Ichinyu from the Raku family. Moved to his home of Tamamizu in Minamiyamashiro (southern Kyoto Prefecture) after the death of Ichinyu and started Tamamizu ware after studying Raku ware together with his mother.He is also known as an extremely rare expert and was particularly known among the Raku ware kilns. Created masterpieces that are copies of works by Chojiro and Koetsu. After the death of Ichigen, the 2nd generation Yahei took on the artist name of Nindosai and succeeded the kiln. (more…)

Irie Shikai 入江之介

1862-1940maleBorn as the son of the feudal retainer of the Fukuoka Domain and studied prose and poetry under the great scholar Masuyama. Later studied Nanga under Yoshitsugu Baizan and the Haizan father and son. At the time of the Bakumatsu, worked in the affairs of state together with Toyama Mitsuru and others, but studied Nanga exclusively once the Meiji era started. Excelled in elaborate landscape and portrait paintings.Also excelled in ceramics. (more…)

Ishino Ryuzan 石野竜山

1861-1936malekutani porcelainStudied porcelain paintings under Hatta Itsuzan and was highly regarded for his specialty in porcelain painting. Began studying under Matsubara Shinsuke (1846-1899), the potter from the same province, in 1898 and made a work that resembled underglaze porcelain in 1903. Repeatedly won awards at exhibitions in Japan and overseas. Was awarded as a Person of Merit for Business in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1916. Received a recommendation at the Japan Art Academy in 1931. Later appointed as a Counselor for the Kaga Kutani Ceramics Collective, Honorary Member of the Ishikawa Prefectural Craft Art Promotion Society, and Vice President of the (more…)

Imaizumi Gennai 今泉源内

Late Edo PeriodmaleIt is said that he was the feudal retainer of the Owari Domain during the Kansei era (1789-1801) and Kaei era (1849-1854), but there are no accurate details regarding his birth and death.Although he was a samurai, he engaged in making ceramics as a hobby. His works that are based on Seto ware have excellent paintings. Records remain that he created several teacups to commemorate his 70th birthday. (more…)

Inoue Ryosai 2nd 二代 井上良斎

1854-1905malesumida potteryBorn as the 1st son of the 2nd generation Kawamoto Jihei in Seto. Later married the daughter of the 1st generation Inoue Ryosai, his relative, in 1875, entered the Inoue family as an adopted child, and became the 2nd generation after studying making ceramics under his father-in-law. Won an award at the 1st National Industrial Exhibition in 1877 and played a pioneering role in modern Japanese ceramics through art nouveau works that differed from the 1st generation by implementing the western ceramic influences of Galle and Daum.Traveled to Europe as a delegate representing Japan at the 1900 Paris Exhibition (more…)

Inoue Ryosai 井上良斎

1828-1899malesumida potteryWas employed to create Inuyama ware at first, but started working as a commissioned potter after being taken into the Edo residence of the Matusdaira constable from the Takasu Domain and created Raku ware. Also provided guidance to Takemoto Hayata regarding making ceramics around this time.Later became independent in 1866 and started a kiln in Imado, Asakusa. Took on the artist name of Togyokuen Ryosai in the Meiji era and mainly created floral organs with bold glazes and Sumida ware with human and other forms as artistic ceramics for exporting by Kiritsu Kosho Kaisha and Seiko. He was a (more…)

Ichie Hozo 市江鳳造

Around 1800malefujimi potteryServed the feudal retainer of the Owari Domain in the Bunka and Bunsei eras (1804-1830) and was also a skilled potter. Studied ceramics under Hirasawa Kuro and mainly created tea sets and various containers. He is said to have achieved popularity, as his range of works displayed exquisite elegance. It is also said that he instructed Murase Biko when he started Fujimi ware. (more…)

Ito Tozan 伊東陶山

1846-1920malekyo potteryimperial household artistBorn as the 1st son of Ito Zensuke in Sanjo Awataguchi.Studied painting under Koizumi Tozan, the Enzan style painter, around the age of 12. At this time, helped Tozan with painting teacups and creating earthen teapots, which Tozan also carried out in addition to painting to make a living, and decided to switch to ceramics. Later became an apprentice of Kameya Kyokutei, the potter in Gojozaka, and started making ceramics seriously. In addition, engaged deeply in research by visiting the kilns of the 3rd generation Takahashi Dohachi, Murata Kisui, Kanzan Denshichi, Taizan Yohei, Ichimonjiya Chubei (Hattori Gyozan), (more…)

Igarashi Shinpei 五十嵐新平

1750-1829malekosobe potteryAfter training in ceramics in Kyoto, the 1st generation Shinpei moved to Kosobe in Settsu Province (Kosobe, Takatsuki, Osaka) around 1790 and started the Kosobe ware kiln, which was a branch of Kyo ware. This family business was handed down from generation to generation, and during the time of the 2nd generation Shinpei (Tenpo era), effort started to also be put into copies of various kilns, including Takatori ware, Korai ware, Shigaraki ware, and Nanban ware. The 3rd generation Shinpei frequently made copies of Kiyomizu Rokubey, who was a skilled artisan in Kyoto, and established representative techniques of Kosobe (more…)

Iwakurasan Kichibei 岩倉山吉兵衛

Late Edo ear – Early Meiji Eramaleiwakura potteryA potter from a family that had been making ceramics for generations in Awataguchi, Kyoto who became a commissioned teacup maker for the Tokugawa clan together with Kinkozan Sobei in 1756. Although he continued in this position until around the Bakumatsu, many details, such as when the 1st generation lived and how many generations there were, are unclear. It is presumed that his ancestors were Iwakura ware potters in Rakuhoku. (more…)

Okamura Shozan 奥村松山

1842–1905malekoto porcelainAs an apprentice at the Hikone domain’s Koto ware workshop, he learned pottery from Kangin Denshichi, and became independent in 1876.He started making wares at Awataguchi, Kyoto. At first, he used colored glaze to create replicas of ancient Imari and Nonomura Ninsei’s wares, but after Western illustrations were incorporated into Kurita ware, he started making Kyo-Satsuma ware together with the likes of Senkozan.After winning multiple awards at the National Industrial Exhibition, his wares also earned favor in Europe. (more…)

Ogata Shuhei 2nd 二代 尾形周平

1819–1883malekyo potterySome say that he was the son of the original Ogata Shuhei in the late Edo period, but the truth is unclear. His dates of birth and death are also from an unconfirmed theory.In the Heian Public Records published in the Kaei era, he is recorded as “Ogata Shinki, of Matsuzukien, residing in Gion”. In the public records published in the Keio era, he was recorded as “Ogata, Gojo-zaka, Ceramicist Shuhei”, showing that he moved to Gojo. As for his work, his paintings were slightly rougher than the founder, and in the Meiji era, he started to use gold (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 7th 七代 大樋長左衛門

1834–1894maleohi potteryBorn as the 4th son of Chozaemon the 5th, he is also the younger brother of Chozaemon the 6th.From the Tokugawa Shogunate–Meiji era, the social upheavals and abolition of the feudal domain system caused pottery kilns all over the country to lose their feudal patrons, and Chozaemon also went out of business temporarily.However, in 1884, he moved to the neighboring city, Kasuga and established a kiln there and helped revive Ohi ware. (more…)

Ohi Chozaemon 6th 六代 大樋長左衛門

1829-1856maleohi potteryBorn as the eldest son of Chozaemon the 5th, he mainly assisted his father’s pottery making and did official work for the Kaga Clan.As he departed early at 28 years old together with his father in 1856, his surviving works did not seem to show that he has developed any unique style and they are very similar to the works of Chozaemon the 5th. (more…)

Onotami Jiro 小野民次郎

1801–1853maleA tycoon of Kurashiki’s Tamashima Nagao, he first studied in Kyoto and learned pottery from Aoki Mokubei and Nin’ami Dohachi, and then invited Seifu Yohei and Rokubey the 2nd, apprentices of Dohachi the 2nd, to Tamashima and learned to make Raku ware and dyed porcelain. In particular, he excelled at imitating ancient Chinese ceramic treasures. (more…)

Oshima Kokoku 大嶋黄谷

1820–1904maleako-unka potteryOriginally a metal caster, he started learning pottery from Sakune Benjiro, the master of Edo’s Imado ware in 1848, and established “Ako Unka ware” in Ako, Hyogo.He also used the pen name Soshu. (more…)

Oshima Kajo 大島霞城

1868–?seto potteryA ceramics decorator and ceramicist of the Edo and Meiji era, he first stayed at Kawamoto Masukichi’s workshop and learned the basics of ceramics decorating from Oide Toko of the Nanga school, and worked as a ceramics decorator at Masukichi’s workshop.Other than that, he also worked as a ceramics decorator for Kato Shuhei and Kawamoto Hanbei’s workshops, and it was said that his technique was extraordinary among the Seto ware decorators, and in 1895 he created the work “Underglazed Four Seasons Tray” together with Masukichi the 2nd. He went independent in the latter period of the Meiji era and (more…)

Okada Gyozan 岡田暁山

End of Edo period-malekyo-satsuma potteryWith the passing of, Hattori Gyozan, the 6th generation, in 1877, Omiya Chobei who operated the pottery wholesaler in Kiyomizu’s Gojo and was a good friend of his, inherited the brand “Gyozan” and changed his name to Okada Gyozan and started making ceramic wares. In 1998, Okada Yoshiaki took over as Gyozan the 8th.The Gyozans have participated countless times in World Expos, such as the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair in the Meiji era before he took over, and the 1924 Paris World Expo, contributing to the development of Kyo ware, and in 1986 they established an (more…)