edo period

Kawamoto Hansuke 6th 六代 川本半助

1844 – 1905maleseto potteryBorn the child of Kawamoto Hansuke IV, he inherited the title of Hansuke VI after his older sister’s husband, Kawamoto Hansuke V, established a branch family.He created products for export, working to further efforts in research and improvement to aid the quality of his porcelain making. In 1881, he established the Seto Art Research Facility together with Inoue Ennen, pouring forth energy toward improving the products of Seto as a whole. That same year, he also launched the Seto Jikosha company with his brother-in-law, Masukichi, helping to promote sales of porcelain products. He was awarded the prize (more…)

Kato Shigeju 2nd 二代 加藤繁十

1829 – 1896maleseto potteryKato Shigeju II was the adopted son of first-generation Seto potter, Kato Shigeju, who would go on to inherit the pottery business.He studied white porcelain from the Qing dynasty (China), and imitated it to manufacture white porcelain pieces. Kato Shigeju II is also said to have pioneered “fuseyaki,” a method in which works are faced down during firing to prevent warping and to maintain shape.He received high praise at exhibitions, and his kiln continued until the fourth generation. (more…)

Kato Toju 加藤陶寿

1851 – 1916maleReal name: Tomotaro. Born the second son of Seto potter Kato Yohachi, Kato Toju began porcelain making after moving to Tokyo and beginning studies under Inoue Ryosai. Afterward, he received instruction from Gottfried Wagener and others at the Yamashita-mon Industrial Bureau Porcelain Making Test Center, and invented a unique red glaze named “Tojuko.” In 1882, he inherited Wagener’s western-style kiln and began operations under the new kiln name, Yugyokuen Ceramics. During this same time, he also worked as the factory manager at the ceramics manufacturing company, Edogawa Seitosho.Thereafter, he continued making dyed underglaze ceramics for export overseas which (more…)

Kawamoto Masukichi 川本枡吉

1831-1907maleseto porcelainKawamoto Masukichi was born the third sun of Kato Yasuzaemon. He began his studies at Kato Yuji’s kiln, where he trained as a ceramic maker.He later became the adopted son-in-law of Kawamoto Hansuke IV, and inherited the title of Kawamoto Hansuke V. In 1862, however, he yielded control of the family to his brother-in-law, Rokusaburo (the eldest son of Hansuke IV), branching off from the family. Afterward, he began ceramic work under the name Kawamoto Masukichi, working with trade ceramics primarily consisting of blue and white porcelain, and also creating works for exhibition, which ultimately earned him high praise (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…)

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…)

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…)

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…)

Kawakami Fuhaku 川上不白

1719-1807male He was born in 1719 as the second son of Kawakami Rokudayu, a vassal of the Mizuno family of the Kii-Shingu domain.He became an apprentice of Nyoshinsai, the seventh generation of Omote-senke tea ceremony school in Kyoto, and participated in the establishment of the seven tea ceremony procedures (Practice methods established to cultivate the spirit and techniques of the tea ceremony).In 1750 (Kan’en 3), he moved to Edo (present-day Tokyo) in response to Nyoshinsai’s wish to spread the Senke tea ceremony in Edo[2]. Later, as the Senke tea ceremony by Fuhaku spread in Edo, with Tanuma Okitsugu as well (more…)

Kato Toyosuke 3rd 三代 加藤豊介

1778-1864malehoraku potteryA ceramist working for the Owari clan. Worked primarily with Nagoya horaku-ware. Son of Toyohachi. Made ceramics at Kakuri in the south of Maezu Banshoji. Appointed as master potter for the Owari clan in Tenpo 13 (1843) for whom he produced Raku-ware bowls from earthenware furnaces. Later received the silver seal of horaku from the domain lord Tokugawa Naritaka and was sent the two characters of “horaku” by Urasenke Gensai. From Toyosuke the 5th his surname changed from Kato to Daiki and then to horaku the 8th. (more…)

Enomoto Shisui 榎本紫水

1793-1865tamagawa potteryAlso known as Tamagawa Shisui. Originally a poet and general hobbyist, they studied at various kilns in places such as Kyoto, Seto and Imari starting some time around the 12th year of Bunsei (1829) and worked on research into techniques. During the Kaei era (1848-58), founded a kiln on the Tama River at Musashino Kuni Tamagawa. They are said to have been excellent at copying such as Ninsei copying and Ryoiri copying and his technique was so deft that he was called a “master of counterfeit.” They also learned about the making of tea-ware from Urasenke’s 11th generation Gengensai. (more…)