Kutani ware is pottery established in 1655 by Toshiharu Maeda, the first local load of Daishoji clan which is the temple located in Kaga, Ishikawa prefecture. The pottery stone was discovered in the area called Kutani. And Toshiharu Maeda got interested in it.
He gave an order to Saijiro Goto who was working on wrought gold to learn how to make pottery. And he established kiln in Kutani area. The Kutani ware made during this period are called “Ko-Kutani” in later generations, and its unique and powerful style is highly regarded as a representative of Japanese colored pottery. In the early 1700s, kiln was closed suddenly but no one still know the reason.
Approximately 100 years after the sudden close of “Ko-kutani”, one kiln called Kasugayama kiln was established in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture. The area was the castle town of Kaga clan, the parent clan of Daishijo clan. And the revival of Kutani started.
A lot of kiln as Yoshidaya kiln, Miyamotoya kiln and Eiraku kiln ware established for revival of Kutani ware. And each kiln created colorful and unique design.
Kutani ware leaped to fame as the representative of Japanese pottery when it was exhibited at the 1873 World Exposition. And a lof ot Kutani ware started to export to other countries. It is completely unique in its colorful design using five colors (red, yellow, green, purple, and Prussian blue), referred as Kutani gosai (the five Kutani colors). Kutani ware is familiarly known as “JAPAN KUTANI” these days and it has attracted many fans all over the world.
Manufacturing Process of Kutani Ware
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1. Quarrying
The main raw material for Kutani ware is pottery stone. Today, Kutani ware is made from Hanasaka pottery stones quarried in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Initially, pottery stones from various regions were mined and used to make Kutani ware. However, all other pottery stones besides Hanasaka pottery stones had been mined out and are no longer in use.Hanasaka pottery stone is characterized by its high iron content, giving the finished clay a rich, grayish-white color. It is also a clay that is easy to shape on a potter's wheel because of its strong consistency.
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2. Clay Making
Porcelain pottery is generally made by crushing and refining pottery stones. However, the base material of Kutani ware is made by mixing pottery stones with the clay used in making earthenware. This gives Kutani ware the warm touch of ceramics while retaining the good qualities of porcelain.
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3. Shaping the Form
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Wheel Throwing "Rokuro"
Wheel throwing
is a molding method in which a lump of clay is placed on a potter's wheel and spun to form the shape of pottery. This method is used to form various items such as sake cups, tableware, and jars. -
4.Hand-Forming "Tebineri"
Hand-forming is a traditional method of molding a piece of pottery by piling up
stringy clay and gluing them together to form a single shape. This manufacturing method brings out an uneven texture that can only be
achieved by handmade products. -
5.Fill-Molding "Teokoshi"
The traditional method of forming the base of a piece of pottery is fill-molding. In this method, a mold is made for each part of the piece,the clay is pressed into the mold, and then removed from the mold–finally assembling all parts into a single shape. All this work is done by hand. Because of the time and effort required, this method has
become the mainstream method for molding pottery such as figurines. -
6.Cast-Molding "Ikomi"
In cast molding, casting clay (mud plaster) dissolved in water is poured into a plaster mold instead of the clay used in wheel-thrown molding. This makes it possible to produce products with complex designs. It is also used to mold figurines and tableware, and can be mass-produced.
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7.Mold-Forming "Katauchi"
Mold-forming is a technique in which the base of a piece of pottery formed on the potter's wheel is placed on a mold to reproduce the pattern and shape of the mold. This technique can only be done by hand with a precise process. First, use a potter's wheel to make the base of a piece of pottery thin, even, and the same size as the mold. If the base of a piece of pottery is uneven, it will crack or break when fired. If it is too thick, it will not be visually appealing, even if it is replicated
in a mold. The process of placing the pieces on the mold also requires a certain amount of applied pressure, and the skill of the craftsman must be honed. Because of the skill required, and the time and effort involved, the number of kilns that practice this technique is decreasing nationwide.However, as long as you have a mold, you can make many of the same ceramics decades or even centuries later. It is quite impressive that you can even revive ceramics from 200 years ago with a 200-year-old mold. -
8.Bisque-Firing
Products produced during the molding process are fired at high temperatures and
turned into ceramics. Firing takes place after the products have been
molded and dried sufficiently. Since ceramics that have just dried are
fragile, they are fired at a temperature of around 850°C to make work
easier after the first firing. -
9.Under glazing "Shitae"
Gosu, a Japanese pigment, is used to paint on the unglazed earthenware. Lines
are drawn with a thin brush and painted flat or blurred with a thick brush. This painting technique is generally called Sometsuke. The pigment is reddish brown when applied, but changes to a bright indigo color after the second firing, which takes place after glazing. -
10.Glazing
Glaze is a liquid that becomes glassy when fired at high temperatures and forms a
film used to cover the pottery. The glaze is applied over unglazed pottery. The work is done quickly so that the glaze is evenly applied over the pottery while being dipped quickly. This process requires a high level of craftsmanship. -
11.Second Firing
The second firing occurs at a high temperature of approximately 1,300°C (2370°F) to 1,400°C (2550°F). The firing time is about 15 to 20 hours. After firing, the kiln must cool down before removing the product. The kilns used for Kutani ware are made of bricks and are fueled by liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) or by electricity. -
12.Over glazing "Uwae"
Overglaze painting, pleasing to the eye and richly decorative,characterizes Kutani ware. Traditional overglaze paints used in Kutani ware are classified into three types: Japanese overglaze paints, Western overglaze paints, and red overglaze paints. In addition to these paints,precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum are used to make Kutani ware.Unlike pigments used for Imari ware and Kyo ware, Japanese pigments for Kutani ware are thickly raised when painted, giving a translucent look. The basic color scheme of Kutani ware is considered to be green, blue, purple, yellow, and red, known as Kutani Gosai, however, many individual Kutani ware makers produce their own unique paints in their ateliers, and the works of famous artists are so unique that they can be recognized by their colors.
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13.Overglaze firing
The pottery is fired at 800-900°C(1472°F - 1652°F) to fix the paints on the pottery.The light-colored Japanese pigments on the pottery turn vivid after firing.The Japanese pigments turn glassy, giving them a sense of transparency. This allows the underlying Gosu to show through and reveals delicate patterns. This transparency is one of the characteristics of Kutani ware.In this way, Kutani ware is basically fired three times, although some pieces that have been painted with gold or silver may be fired a fourth time at a different temperature.Kutani ware is made through a meticulous process.
Each and every craftsman carefully completes each step with professional skill. The style of overglaze painting in each kiln during each period differs greatly, making it interesting to compare and enjoy the process.Make a stop in Kanazawa and explore the depth of Kutani ware for yourself!
