back to map	Arita - see Imari
back to map	Aizu Hongo
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Fukushima prefecture, Tohoku region, Northern Japan Glazed stoneware, porcelain Edo (1603-1868) to the present, since 1645 The Tohoku region of northeastern Japan was a remote area attractive to a number of potters where kilns were started in early 19th century. Tsutsumi, Ohori Soma, Kasama, Aizu Hongo and Hirashi no mizu are a few of many kilns from this area, less well known in the West (and to many Japanese), each with a distinctive style from other areas of Japan. Because of the area's relative inaccessibility, traditional methods were used for a longer period of time than other areas of Japan. Aizu Hongo is representative of pottery from the Tohoku region. The kilns at Aizu Hongo are some of the oldest in the area, started by a potter from Seto who established a fief kiln in 1645. Towards the end of the 18th century the potters took control of the kilns from the Daimyo (local lord). The Aizu Hongo kilns produced a wide variety of stoneware with multi colored glazes and also blue and white porcelain (in a distinct style from much of Japan), with the kilns finally declining in the Meiji period (1868-1912). The kiln is known for producing a variety of storage containers for tea, liquids, and distinctive square, rectangular and circular fish (nishin) containers in simple bold glazes.
back to map	Bizen
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Okayama Prefecture Stoneware with natural and applied glazes From medieval period (1185-1568) to present Sueki pottery was first made in the Kofun period (3rd to 6th century) at Bizen in Okayama Prefecture, located close to the Inland Sea, well placed within trading routes between the Kyoto region and Southern Japan, with connecting routes to China and Korea. Bizen potters while aware of artistic trends chose to produce pottery which reflected the natural attributes of the organically rich clay, preferring the results of uncontrolled kiln effects, with natural unapplied ash glazing. Bizen ceramics fire to a variety of brilliant red and orange hues, and show various surface textures. Bizen produced utilitarian wares and tea ceremony pieces, many made to order and inscribed. Spouted jars began to be made in the Muromachi period, the spout modeled by hand. The term "Abura Tsubo" meaning oil jar was a general term used to describe relatively smaller multi purpose storage jars.
back to map	Echizen
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Former Echizen Province, now Fukui Prefecture Stoneware with natural and applied glazes Pottery has been made at Echizen continuously since the Fujiwara Period (897-1185). One of Japans "Six Old Kilns", Echizen is north of Lake Biwa on the Japan Sea. Echizen first produced Sue ware, a Korean type of gray stoneware produced in Japan since the 5th century. Except for a brief time of inactivity before the Edo period (1600-1868) Echizen produced rough, functional folk pottery such as large storage containers and jars of many sizes. One of Echizen's famous products was tooth blackening jars (ohaguro), which held a paste married women applied to their teeth resulting in a black appearance. A jar like this probably would have been used to hold grains. Today these jars are often adapted for modern use in tea ceremony as mizusashi with the addition of a fitted lacquer lid.
back to map	Imari
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Northern Kyushu, Saga Prefecture Porcelain 17th century to present Porcelain was first fired in Hizen province of Northern Kyushu in the early 17th century by Korean potters, and most likely by the potter named Ri Sanpei, who was brought to Japan by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his second invasion of Korea in 1597. Early examples were somewhat primitive (but now highly prized) white or celadon toned wares, decorated with underglaze cobalt blue, until the 1640s when the first enamels were fired in red, green, blue, yellow, purple, and eventually gold; associated with the first enamels was the famous Sakaida Kakiemon (1596-1666). Before long Dutch traders entered the scene, who with their porcelain sources in China disrupted due to political turmoil, quickly turned to Arita to provide for European demands. The first large order at Arita was placed by the VOC in 1653, and in a short time Japan enjoyed prosperity as providers for the European elite, with export production reaching a peak in the 1680s, the beginning of the golden age. While market demand continued for some time into the 18th century, Arita could not compete with China, who from a near cessation of operations in the 17th century rebounded in the 18th century. The last official order from the VOC in 1759 was for three hundred pieces, and the VOC itself was dissolved in 1799. Simultaneously, and more substantially, Arita provided for its own domestic market throughout its long history. Both style and form evolved parallel with artistic and cultural trends, and show the strong influence at different times of Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), Chinese ceramics, painting trends, and Chinese style tea ceremony (Sencha). Some of these domestic pieces were exported privately and incidentally to the West, however much of upper tier pieces were reserved for use by feudal lords and like members of society. Arita porcelains are remarkable for their rich variations in form, style and subjects. Read more about Imari Ceramics
back to map	Karatsu, "E-garatsu"
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	North Kyushu Glazed stoneware Momoyama period (1568-1603) to present Sueki was first produced at Karatsu in the Hizen province in Northern Kyushu between the sixth and tenth centuries; however the stoneware that would become so famous--for tea and common use--began to be made in the late 16th century, when Korean potters were forced to settle after being brought back from Hideyoshi's invasions of that country at the time, (however it appears that Korean potters were working there for some time, perhaps as far back as the Muromachi era before Hideyoshi's invasions). The pottery's simple beauty quickly attracted attention from people such as tea master Furuta Oribe (1544-1615), whose influence is felt in the affectation of form and innovative designs; although Korean potters used a simpler techniques for glazing than Mino ones. Karatsu wares were made with the use of a potter's wheel, and have simple expressive and stylized natural and abstract designs painted with iron oxide. Foot rims were left unglazed and the rest of the piece covered with a gray brown glaze made from a mixture of ash and feldspar. The term Karatsu actually embraces a variety of Northern Kyushu ceramic types; "E-garatsu" (picture Karatsu) is the best known.
back to map	Kutani
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Ishikawa prefecture Porcelain with overglaze enamels in distinctive color schemes Early 16th century-present While the kilns at Kutani were developed in the mid 17th century for the important Maeda daimyo (feudal lords), it is now known that Ko-Kutani (old Kutani) was produced at Arita/Imari kilns in Kyushu.
back to map	Mino : see also Oribe, Shino
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Gifu prefecture Glazed stoneware Major production in medieval period (1185-1568) and Momoyama (1568-1603), with continued production to the present Evidence shows there were as many as five hundred kilns in the Mino area in medieval times, when much of the Mino ware produced was from copying Chinese pottery from 1200-1600. The following Momoyama period (1568-1603) was a creative time with development and innovation in tea ceremony utensils. Into the Edo era (1603-1868), production became more utilitarian oriented. Oribe Mino kilns began to produce the distinctive new style which came to be known as Oribe--its namesake the famous and influential tea master Furuta Oribe (1544-1615)--after Shino wares, sometime in the late 16th century. Several important events led to its development, and it is believed that the Samurai General oversaw the radically new style (following the quiet and restrained aesthetics of predecessor Rikkyu) after witnessing new kiln technologies of transplanted Korean potters brought back from Hideyoshi's military campaigns there around 1592. The Oribe style was a dramatic departure in Japanese ceramics, both formally with new and varied shapes of dishes and vessels for tea ceremony, and in decoration, with glazed designs of both figural and abstract geometric forms, in bold and rich glazes of iridescent green, black and iron brown. One likely aesthetic inspiration for the ceramics appears to have been in textiles of period, which bear a strong aesthetic resemblance. Shino Greatly esteemed by tea ceremony practitioners, Shino ceramics were first made during the Momoyama era (1568-1603), probably in the 1580s at kilns in Mino, and their sudden appearance marked a dramatic shift in the evolution of Japanese ceramic art. White Shino was the most prolific type, and is characterized by its effervescent, irregular feldspathic glaze. Scholars believe the name ³Shino² may have originated from tea master Shino Shoshin (1441-1522), said to have owned a white Temmoku tea bowl (the first white glazed wares in Japan) of a type made either at Seto or Mino kiln, believed to be the predecessors of later Shino wares. Shino wares were decorated in both iron brown and cobalt blue, with designs applied, stamped and inlaid; pieces were fired in single chambered high temperature kilns.
back to map	Nabeshima
About:	Nabeshima porcelains are among the most famous of Japan's porcelains, the Nabeshima kiln operating as a clan kiln throughout the Edo Era (1603-1868) to the strictest standards of perfection which demanded the destruction of anything less than perfect. From close to its inception the style has been copied by other porcelain producing kilns, and by the late 19th century the style was being produced at any number of places where porcelain was fired in Japan, including the Nabeshima kiln itself which following the Edo Era opened for commercial production.
back to map	Okinawa : Tsuboya kiln
About:	For more than five hundred years, from 1372-1879, the Ryukyu islands located at the southern tip of Japan extending to Taiwan, formed an independent kingdom. The location of the islands allowed the kingdom to function as a bridge for international trade between Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, and even the Middle East. Archaeological evidence shows early Okinawan pottery to have been relatively primitive; the pivotal shift into modern ceramic history occurred in the early 17th century when King Sho Nei invited Korean potters from Satsuma to teach native Okinawan potters up to date techniques. One of three potters who visited stayed and established himself in Naha, initially producing tea ceremony utensils. On the main island of Okinawa Tsuboya developed into the center of Okinawan pottery production until the second world war.
back to map	Raku
About:	Raku pottery has a long history in Japan and is best known as a pottery favored by tea ceremony devotees. Raku is a soft, lightweight and thickly glazed pottery fired at a relatively low temperature. Tea bowls are generally free formed by hand as to fit in the hands comfortably. The top edge's soft and uneven shape is formed to suit to one's mouth for drinking.
back to map	Satsuma: see also Kinkozan
About:	The Satsuma ceramic style best known today was initiated by the patronage of the Shimazu family, the region's feudal rulers. Satsuma potters developed their style and techniques from Kyoto potters, who taught their methods (from the Ninsei tradition) to Satsuma technicians, who developed an independent style by the late 18th century, and whose golden age came in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries. The pottery known as Kinkozan has its origin in the Awata area of Kyoto in the 17th century, where the first potter worked. The third generation Kobayashi Kihei made tea ceremony wares in Tokyo and was appointed official Tokugawa shogun potter in 1756, when he was given the name "Kinkozan". However it was fifth generation potter Kobayashi Sobei who developed the pottery further to expand the export market in 1877, beginning a tradition which would last forty years. Kinkozan Pottery from Satsuma province dates back to the early 17th century with the resettlement of Korean potters following Hideyoshiıs invasions. These potters began making tea ceremony and functional pottery for local use, much in the vein of other ceramics made in the region. The Satsuma ceramic style best known today was initiated by the patronage of the Shimazu family, the regionıs feudal rulers. Satsuma potters developed their style and techniques from Kyoto potters, who taught their methods (from the Ninsei tradition) to Satsuma technicians, who developed an independent style by the late 18th century, and whose golden age came in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries. The pottery known as Kinkozan has its origin in the Awata area of Kyoto in the 17th century, where the first potter worked. The third generation Kobayashi Kihei made tea ceremony wares in Tokyo and was appointed official Tokugawa shogun potter in 1756, when he was given the name ³Kinkozan.² However it was fifth generation potter Kobayashi Sobei who developed the pottery further to expand the export market in 1877, beginning a tradition which would last forty years.
back to map	Seto : see also Ki Seto, Ofuke
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Aichi prefecture Stoneware with natural and applied glazes Medieval (1185-1568) to present Seto has been known as one of the "Six Old Kilns" of Japan (Tokoname, Bizen, Echizen, Shigaraki and Tamba) and for producing a great portion of everyday wares, especially during the Edo era. Seto artisans were more advanced than their medieval counterparts at other kilns; seto ware was known in particular at that time for two glazes imitating Chinese Sung ceramics, in green and brown. In fact Seto became so famous for its ceramics that the name setomono (seto-thing) was another word for ceramic objects. In the Edo period (1603-1868) Seto was well known for its vast production of ceramic goods for everyday use, including a wide variety of products in porcelain. Some of the better known Edo era products include, andonzara and aburazara (lamp plates or oil plates), and ishizara (stone plates). Lamp/oil plates, were placed beneath oil lanterns to catch oil drippings, which could be dangerous and cause fires. These brown stoneware plates are often illustrated with abbreviated landscapes or other pictorial decoration in iron oxide brown glazes. Production of these plates discontinued with the advent of gaslight and electricity in the 19th century. Ishizara are similar to aburazara but were used for eating and are thicker and heavier in weight. While most ishizara were not decorated, the most appealing today were those adorned in a manner similar to aburazara but often with a wider variety of subject matter and color (cobalt oxide blues were used). Uma no me plates, "horse-eye" plates, commonly used in restaurants, were also of this genre. Ki Seto Ki-Seto or Yellow Seto from the Mino region of Japan was the forerunner of Shino and Oribe wares. Ki-Seto grew out of the Ko-Seto tradition in the late 16th century, and typical examples of that era are characterized by a pale buff or yellow glaze with splashes of green and outlines of brown, from copper oxide glazing. Stylized and simply designed motifs often were of plants or vegetables. Pieces were made for tea ceremony and were hand modeled and mold formed, incised and painted with simple figurative and abstract designs. This example is later; good copies of Momoyama tea wares were made throughout the Edo and Meiji Eras by skilled potters. Ofuke (Nagoya) Ofuke was the last of the Seto kilns to open, the location at Akatsu near the Nagoya castle, it was established sometime in the early 17th century. The kiln was started by Tosaburo Nimbei otherwise known as Kagesada, who came from Mino and made wares with his younger brother Taihei. Three different family descendants continued the tradition; Tahei, Tosaburo, and Gombei. Well known potters included Nimbei X who died in 1752, and Nimbei XV (Shunyan), father of the well known potter Shuntai (Nimbei XVI), who died in 1877. After establishing the kiln and gaining some recognition, Kagesada and Taihei were asked to supervise a private kiln by Tokugawa Mitsumoto (the Prince of Owari), at that time the kiln began to go by the name "Ofuke" . Products were typically tea ceremony wares, later showing a strong Annanese influence; Ofuke pieces are sometimes decorated with cobalt or gosu type painting, and ash overglazing. Since they were made for private use they are considered "Oniwa-yaki".
back to map	Shigaraki
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Shiga Prefecture, Omi Province (near Kyoto) Stoneware with natural and applied glazes From medieval period (1185-1568) to present Like its medieval counterparts, Shigaraki kilns first made various sized containers fired plain, resulting in a natural glazing from the ash of the kilns. During the Momoyama period (1568-1603) they began to make tea ceremony objects, as their former utilitarian products, particularly their gritty glazed textures, had appealed to those developing the tea ceremony aesthetic. From the Edo period (1603-1868) up until the present day Shigaraki kilns have been known for their production of functional items for the common people, some of which are hallmarks of modern folk art collections. Both andonzara/aburazara (lamp-plates and oil-plates), plates placed under lamps to catch oil drippings, and ishizara (stone plates) plates for eating, are well represented in many folk art collections. Other developments included a distinctive Haginagashi glazing, including white, green and blue colors with variations, and the large scale production of containers for shochu, a strong distilled sake, produced largely in the late Meiji period (1868-1912). Shigaraki is also famous for its tanuki/badger figures, a curious Japanese symbol, often depicted as a naughty male animal who has overindulged himself in vice.
back to map	Tamba
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Hyogo prefecture, Honshu (near Kyoto) Stoneware with natural and applied glazes Kamakura era (1185-1334) to present Early production in the large number of kilns at Tamba consisted of large naturally glazed utilitarian storage jars (tsubo), wide mouthed jars (kame) and bowls for grating (suribachi). Large pots were first formed from clay coils and then finished on potters wheels, then fired without applied glaze. From the kiln itself a natural ash glaze appeared, often creating dramatic results. The green ash glaze contrasts well with the rich red brown burnt clay. Early in the seventeenth century (Edo era 1603-1868) the potters at Tamba began to use applied glazes, and produced a variety of container styles. One distinctive slip glaze called akadobe (red earth) was developed, giving pieces a red surface finish. On top of slip glazes contrasting glazes were applied to the neck areas of a piece creating a dripping effect down the sides. This was applied with a bamboo tube applicator particular to Tamba (tsutsugaki). Another type of Tamba from this era was the seldom seen Shiro-Tamba, white with blue decoration.
back to map	Tokoname
Location: Produced: Dates: About:	Aichi prefecture (former Owari Province) Stoneware with natural ash glazes Japan's largest ceramic production center during medieval period (1185-1568) to present A Tokoname stoneware storage jar with moderate sized mouth, built by coil method, and fired with natural ash glazing. Located in Aichi Prefecture, Tokoname was the largest producer of ceramics in the Medieval period (1185-1568). Tokoname is best known for its storage jars (from small to very large), and it differs in appearance from other stonewares like Shigaraki, Tamba, Echizen and Bizen, in clay and natural glaze effects.