A TALE OF THREE JAPANESE POTTERIES
Japanese potters have often times taken cues from Chineseand Korean artisans, using that influence to mold their own unique anddistinctive pieces.
It’s unusual that they looked to other cultures forinspiration when this was something they basically were ‘famous’ for. But Iguess even the greatest artists hit a creative block, if you will, and needsome prompting.
Actually, in 1644 China found itself having some internalunrest which affected its booming exporting business of porcelain to Europe. Thismade finding Chinese porcelain very difficult which Europe didn’t like. Theydecided to ask Japan to step in and amp up production of porcelain instead ofChina. Europe wasn’t able to do it themselves, they didn’t have the techniquesat that time.
From the early eighteenth century, in the town of ARITA, the Japanese began to make thevery first, oldest and possibly mostpopular Japanese porcelain product, following Chinese ways, … known as ARITA WARE, wares with over-glazingwere called IMARI WARE or KAKIEMON. It has been a strong influencer ofEuropean ceramics. To know you have apiece of this lovely blue and white-designed porcelain made from white clay,the marking the potters used is a hazy under-glaze.
Some Japanese pottery has origins that vary depending onthe memory. There is one where a kiln was built on the side of AKAHADA Mountain and a potter decided thepottery needed to have some Nara-e painted on it. Nara-e are illustrations frompicture books using vibrantly colored brushstrokes themes around some old Nohsongs or possibly fairytales. These pieces known as AKAHADAWARE were especially popular among the tea masters. The kilns grew to wherethey had three of them running at a time but eventually they decreased backdown to just one which today is known as Mt. Akahada Kilns or in Japanese,Akahada Yama Motogama.
The tea ceremony is very sacred in Japan. In 1602, apotter was invited by a tea master to come and build his kiln in their area. Hebuilt a ‘climbing’ kiln in AGANO inBuzen Province. It was while this tea master was in leadership, merely thirtyyears, that the intricate AGANO WARE becameestablished on the market.
This pottery holds a certain grace. It is lightweight andslender in form but not overly so. There is very little decoration used on thepieces, but there is often a vortex pattern to the base that has been believedto be a naturally occurring affect caused when the potter carved the foot. Ithas since become the signature of the pieces.
This pottery holds very dignified textures and there area variety of different enamel that are used, but the most brilliant is the greenrust enamel using oxidized copper. It leaves the piece with an outstanding,vivid blue color.
There is such a pride in craftsmanship with the pieces ofJapanese pottery that amazes. Even the misshapen, irregular pieces that theyintended to be such.