Kutani ware, Japan's representative painted porcelain
Kutani ware is a type of porcelain characterized by colorful decorations that originated in Minami Kaga in the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture and has been passed down to the present day. It is a representative Japanese porcelain that has long been a favorite of Japanese connoisseurs and has fans all over the world. In addition to plates and bowls, it is also widely loved as a beautiful accessory.
Kutani ware is characterized by its vivid painting, particularly its powerful, pictorial painting. While initially influenced by Jingdezhen in China, it continued to grow by incorporating techniques from the Kano and Rinpa schools that were active at the same time, and continues to develop to this day.
Various painting styles born from tradition
The most common painting techniques are as follows:
Iroe (colored painting)
This is a painting method using the five Kutani colors of yellow, green, navy blue (ultramarine), purple, and red, centered around lines made from the Noto gosu pigment discovered by Kutani Shozo.
blue hand
The design is based on blue with green, yellow, navy blue, and purple added. No red is used, and the entire surface of the porcelain is painted to fill it completely. The colors that fill in without leaving any gaps give an impression of luxury.
Akae and Kinrande
This technique, which features red lines and red paint with gold accents, was perfected by Iida Hachiroemon in the late Edo period and is also known as the Iida-ya style.
The history of Kutani ware
The history of Kutani ware is said to have begun in the early Edo period, around 1655, when Maeda Toshiharu, the first lord of the Daishoji domain, a branch of the Kaga domain at the time, and a tea master, discovered pottery stone in Kutani village. He sent Goto Saijiro, a samurai of the domain, to Arita, Bizen (Saga Prefecture) to learn porcelain techniques, and built a kiln in Kutani. However, the Kutani kiln was suddenly closed around 1730. The reason for this is unknown, and it is considered a mystery of Kutani. Items produced during this period are called Kokutani (old Kutani).
In 1807, about 100 years after the closure of the Kutani kiln, the Kaga domain aimed to revive Kutani ware and invited Aoki Mokubei, a famous potter at the time, from Kyoto to build the Kasugayama kiln in Kanazawa. This was the catalyst for the opening of numerous kilns, including Wakasugi kiln, Rendaiji kiln, Ono kiln, and Yoshidaya kiln, which led to a spectacular revival. Kutani from this period is known as the Revived Kutani.
After a while, Shoza Kutani of Ono Kiln traveled around the country to teach porcelain, and discovered a pigment that would later be called Noto Gosu. In the early Meiji period, he was one of the first to incorporate imported paints into Kutani ware, establishing a style of Kutani ware known as the Shoza style. This Shoza style remains one of the most representative styles of Kutani ware to this day, and many products are exported, so much so that when people say Kutani ware, they are referring to the Shoza style, especially overseas.
The ever-evolving Kutani ware
From the Showa era through the postwar period, the Western world brought with it the idea that Kutani ware, which had previously been seen as a practical item, should be treated as a work of art. As a result, new styles and methods of expression have been created, such as the "Golden Underglaze" technique by Living National Treasure Yoshida Mito, which continues to this day. Kutani ware is constantly evolving, while still being based on tradition.