Monday, October 22, 2012

OBORI SOMA YAKI(大堀相馬焼き)-Ceramics of Fukushima Prefecture

I love the Obori Soma-yaki pottery with its typical crackle glaze and horse motif.  Of course there is more to it than that but that is what I think of when hear Soma-yaki.  After the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident the soma-yaki potters lost everything.  Some have banded together to try to revive the craft.  As far as I know things are still at a stand still and no pottery is yet being produced.  I hope that this beautiful pottery will be able to be revived in the near future.
Update:
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/b02343/fukushima’s-suetoku-pottery-moves-beyond-311-toward-the-future.html

Many of the Soma wares are double walled. It is called "Niju-Yaki". The crackles on blue Porcelain are called Ao-hibi. The heart shape cut outs represent plovers (Chidori). Notice the wavy brush pattern below? That represents waves. This combination of plovers and waves is called Nami-Chidori in Japanese, and is a common motif in Japanese arts. (Some people think the cut outs are hearts and I was told they were here hoofs but in the link below the artisan explains the motif. 






Added a sake cup to my collection-no mark






SUE TOKU KILN. 陶徳窯
This is not a piece that I own but was given permission to use these photos for this blog so that it can help others. Mr. Sue lost everything in the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. He tried to make a come back. He has since passed away. 



KOZAN GAMA (幸山窯)



Hankatsu

https://www.hankatsu.com/

Here are some catalog pages from a 1962-1963 Mail Order Gift Catalog of the Far East Exchange Service. (Thanks to Prudencio Rodriguez for allowing me to post from his collection)







Tuesday, July 10, 2012

NANZAN YAKI (南山焼き)-Ceramics of Okayama Prefecture


Nanzan yaki. It has taken me years to find the origin of my vase!  Following little breadcrumbs here and there led me to the discovery.







Nanzan Yaki was founded by Koike Torajiro of Tsuyama city, Okayama Prefecture. It has some similarities to Bizen ware. Some references say the kiln was abolished around 1945, others 1949/1950, so this is probably why very little is available on the internet. 









The writing inside the pot design reads Nanzan Yaki
Right to left is written Yanagiyama or Ryuusan Zo 
 







Google translation of the history of Nanzan Yaki ( names may be incorrect as Google translate especially has difficulty with Japanese names). 


There are various theories about the opening of the Nanzan-yaki kiln, and it is said to be during the Tenpo era or the 9th year of the Meiji era.  The founder is Mr. Torajiro Koike of Tsuyama.  At first, I called a potter from Kyoto and mainly baked tea pottery.  At that time, it was loved because its firing was elegant.  After that, mass-produced daily miscellaneous goods continued for a long time, but the kiln was abolished around 1945.  The kiln at the time of the abandoned kiln was Mr. Torajiro Koike (grandson of the founder), and the potters were Mr. Yanagisen Fukugo and his younger brother Futetsu Fukugo.

Apparently after the kiln closed a disciple of Torajiro, Fukugo Tooru moved and established Sesshu Yaki in Shimane Prefecture! (See post on Sesshu Yaki)

Saturday, May 26, 2012

SATSUMA YAKI (薩摩焼き)-Ceramics of Kagoshima Prefecture


                   Rice bowl by Chin Jukan



    Tea Bowl 薩摩久晋製



Satsuma Tanoura MARK




Vase box from the Tanoura Kiln 田の浦窯

About Tanoura kiln
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/rai-rai/c/0000000102/
http://www.kurozyokaya.com/product-list/16

Black Satsuma

Generic Satsuma MARK  さつま



Black matte finish began 1930's~

Generic Satsuma 




Satsuma Ryuho MARK 龍峰

Satsuma Nagata





Tea cup  made from ash from Sakura 
Jima in Kagoshima

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

SESSHU-YAKI-雪舟焼 Ceramics of Shimane Prefecture

Sesshu-yaki is pottery of Shimane Prefecture.  It is grouped with Iwami-yaki. Sesshu-yaki is a  new style of Pottery, the kiln began in 1949 by Fukugou Tooru. His son, Fukugou Tooru II,  took over the kiln in 2001.


Love the "crackle"!!

Friday, April 6, 2012

SETO YAKI (瀬戸焼き)-Ceramics of Aichi Prefecture






Seto Akazu Yaki Kensui by Kato Rokubei

Seto-yaki is the pottery of Seto, Aichi Prefecture.  It is sometimes overlaps with Mino-yaki as the whole area is producing pottery. It is probably the most common pottery in Japan, especially for everyday tableware. 

Contemporary Seto Yaki potters




SETO-AKAZU YAKI    

Kilns:






Ki-Seto cup  and saucer by Suzuki Bakusen (鈴木麦仙) of Haruhi Gama (春日窯)
                                      
                        


                   












http://www.aitohko.com/k_list/7035.pdf

Seto-Akazu Yaki Hakusen/hakuzen gama mark 白泉

Hakusen Gama 



🌿🌱🍃🌿🌱🍃🌿🌱🍃🌿🍃
SETO AKAZU YAKI KATO SAKUSUKE







Seto Akazu Yaki





                                               💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

This is an Oribe Hira Mizusashi (平水指) by Gensui Gama (源水窯) which is Akazu Yaki of Seto. 
It is missing its lacquer lid. It measures 25.5 cm in diameter and is 11cm tall.

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿


Kawamura Sekizan b. 1938 in Seto


Seto Akazu Yaki



                                  🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
AITOU (愛陶)

Modern Seto ware. This mark reads Aitou (愛陶)  

Another Aitou mark found in bone script

                         
                           




                                     🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ASUKA GAMA (飛鳥窯) 



                                               🍃🍂🍃🍂🍃🍂🍃🍂🍃🍂🍃🍂🍃🍂🍃🍂🍃🍂


  KATO GOTO (加藤五陶)

 This is a tea bowl in Oribe style.

                                  🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

AZEKURA (藍染蔵 or あぜくら)




This company sells blue and white Japanese style dinnerware. The most common is the arabesque design (karakusa or tako karakusa). They like to revive old styles for modern tables. 
The Seto region produces so much pottery that the Japanese often refer to everyday dishes as Seto-mono or things from Seto.

                      🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿




🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

BAKUZAN-GAMA (麦山窯)

The Bakuzan mark is the Kanji for wheat and mountain.





                                             











                
🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾
IZUMI-GAMA (泉窯)
Kato Tozan 加藤藤山




🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

TERADA BIZAN 寺田美山

https://www.teradabizan.com/

TOZABUROU GAMA (加藤 唐三郎 窯 )


Ki-Seto Chawan


    Kato Touzaburou MARK


                                        🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃
SHOZAN GAMA (松山窯)


        This is a mini covered dish in the Oribe style


      









  Shozan MARK (松山 )








🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

TOKAI CHINA



                                                ******************************************************
 I keep coming across a Seto mark that interested me. I began some research on it and have made some progress. 


The one on the left is most likely read Asahi Gama (旭窯). This mark is associated with potter Shunji Hayashi (林春治).  

In 1979 Mr. Hayashi opened a new kiln called Tsubaki Gama (椿窯, mark on the right). Because of multiple readings for the same Kanji character I am not 100% sure of the reading of the potters given name.  I will update as I confirm this. His specialty is with blue and white sometsuke porcelain. 


                Yamahiro Toen (山弘陶苑)
                Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
                        Est. 1970

                                       🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

KATO SHUBEI



*******************************************************

                                                                1861-1943

************************************************







                                Terada Minoru








                                                                   Makoto Yamaguchi 





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