DESCRIPTION | What Kutani ware is?

The overglaze painting (i.e., the patterns and decorations on the vessels) is an essential part of Kutani ware. Most overglaze painting in Kutani ware is done with Japanese overglaze pigments. The patterns and pictures painted with Japanese overglaze pigments are massive and gorgeous, and the rich colors are also beautiful.

There are a wide variety of ways to express overglaze painting, and it is said that there are as many ways to express overglaze painting as there are artists and potters.
The strong commitment to overglaze enamels by each artist and potter, and the variety of expression that can be enjoyed, can be said to be a characteristic and interesting aspect of Kutani ware.
The diversity of expression is not a new phenomenon. Kutani ware is a unique type of pottery that has evolved over its 370-year history, with new methods of expression (painting styles) emerging with each era.

Japanese paints used in Kutani ware

The Japanese paints used in Kutani ware are based on five colors (green, yellow, purple, dark blue, and red), known as Kutani Gosai.

Green, yellow, purple, and dark blue become glassy when fired. The glassy quality of the Japanese pigments is what gives Kutani ware its unique sense of weight and luster. Red, on the other hand, is not as thick as the other four colors, but is characterized by its ability to produce fine lines.
The outlines of Kutani ware paintings are basically drawn with a pigment called Kuresu. This is also called “bone drawing” in Kutani ware.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Vessel painted with red and gosu pigment

Next, the green, yellow, purple, and navy blue colors are placed on top of the Kurezu lines.

                                                                                                                                                                                                           Vessels layered with Japanese paints

The four colors (green, yellow, purple, and navy blue) are only produced after firing, so they are completely different colors and have no luster before firing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Fired vessel

When fired, these four colors become like colored glass, and the underlying Kurezu lines become visible through the glass, completing the picture. The luster unique to the glassy quality is also beautiful.

Is Kutani ware porcelain? Ceramic?

Kutani ware is a type of pottery known as iroe ceramics. In other words, some Kutani ware is painted on porcelain, and some Kutani ware is painted on ceramic. The difference between porcelain and ceramics is the raw material. Even within the same Kutani ware, the finish of porcelain and ceramics are very different, as are the feel and the overglaze painting.

 

Porcelain
The main ingredient of porcelain is stones such as potter's stone. For this reason, porcelain is also called “stoneware.
The surface of porcelain is smooth to the touch, like glass. It is white in color. The white color of porcelain allows painted or gilded decoration to stand out.
When lightly tapped, it makes a high metallic sound.

Pottery
The raw material is mainly clay. For this reason, pottery is also called “earthenware.
Pottery has a texture and warmth that is unique to clay. The glaze applied to the surface of the ware gives it a unique look.
When you tap it lightly, you can hear a low, dull sound.

Styles and Techniques of Kutani ware

Kutani ware is expressed in a wide variety of ways. This section introduces some of the most popular styles (designs and styles of painting) and main techniques. These are words that often appear in Kutani ware.

 

Old Kutani Style

Ko-Kutani refers to early Kutani ware.
Ko-Kutani-fu refers to overglaze Kutani paintings on large plates that have been incorporated into small plates, or painted in the style of Kutani. Ko-kutani-style dishes include those in which flowers, birds, winds, and the moon are depicted in five colors (green, yellow, purple, navy blue, and red), as well as those in the Aote style. Ko-Kutani style pottery is popular because its charm can be enjoyed in modern life.

Mokubei Style

This design is based on the painting style of Aoki Mokubei, a master craftsman of the Edo period.
It features Chinese-style figures painted on a red background, and the expressions and gestures of the figures are quite atmospheric.
Mokubei is still a popular motif often seen in modern Kutani ware.

 

Yoshidaya style

This style is based on the painting style inherited from the Koya Kutani blue-te style. Aote is a style of painting that uses four colors (green, yellow, purple, and dark blue) and fills in the paint as if it were an oil painting. Compared to the bold Ko-Kutani style of Aote, Yoshidaya's Aote is said to have a more refined atmosphere.
Such Yoshidaya-style designs are elegant in a gorgeous way, and add a wonderful touch of color to the modern dining table.

Iidaya style, Hachirode, Akae-saibyou (fine red-painting)

Iidaya or Hachirode is a type of fine red-painting that remains popular today.
Akae saibyou, as the name implies, is a style of red-painting using very fine lines. The patterns and pictures drawn in a series of fine lines are truly superb and beautiful.
Gorgeous gold paintings on akae are also wonderful.

Eiraku style, Kinrande (gold brocade)

Kinrande is a technique in which patterns are painted only in gold on a background painted in red. It is said that Eiraku Wazen of Kyoto is said to have introduced this technique to Kutani ware in the late Edo period, and the name of the Kinrande style is called Eiraku.
Kinrande, with gold patterns floating on a red ground, is gorgeous and noble. The bowls with Kinran-te around the rim and on the handles are also beautiful.

Shoza style

Shoza style is an expression of the painting style of Shozo Kutani, a potter active in the Meiji period (1868-1912).
Shoza-fu is a gorgeous and gorgeous style of overglaze painting that skillfully incorporates all the decorative techniques of Kutani ware, including old Kutani, fine red-painting, gold brocade, and gold glaze.
It is a gorgeous and gorgeous dish suitable for a festive dinner table or a special occasion.

Dyeing

Only indigo color is painted on white porcelain. Sometsuke is different from Kutani Gosai color painting, and has a more profound beauty and flavor. Blue painting is done on unglazed porcelain with pigment called gozu, which changes to a beautiful indigo color when fired. The charm of dyeing ware is that the food looks more gorgeous when served on it.

Colored glaze

There are no pictures, but the transparency of the glaze is what attracts people to this type of pottery. The glaze, applied over the entire surface of the base, becomes glassy when fired, creating a beautiful luster on the surface of the vessel. Color gradations can also be created by applying glazes of different intensity. Tokuda Yasokichi III, who pursued this technique of colored glaze, was certified as an important intangible cultural property holder for “colored glazed porcelain ware.

Aochibu

Blue is what we now call green. It is a technique of painting small dots by heaping up green Japanese paints. It is neither paint nor line. The aggregation of dots unfolds a splendid world view. It is difficult to produce small dots of the same size and beauty as an aggregate without a high level of skill. The smaller the grains are, the more excellent the craftsmanship is. In addition to blue grains, white and gold grains are also available.

Glazed gold leaf

A technique in which gold leaf in the shape of a flower or leaf is applied to a vessel and then glazed over it and fired. The transparency of the glaze combined with the shimmer of the gold leaf is very beautiful.
This underglaze gilt technique was invented by Takeda Yuko of Kanazawa. The technique was further researched and developed by Yoshita Minori, who is certified as an Important Intangible Cultural Property holder.

Glazed silverware

A technique in which a pattern in the form of silver foil is applied to a vessel and glaze is applied over the pattern to complete the firing process. Normally, silver oxidizes and turns black when exposed to air. However, covering the silver with glaze prevents oxidation and the silver foil remains beautiful.
You can enjoy the discreet brilliance of the silver foil and be captivated by its refined beauty.

Hanazume

Hanazume is an overglaze painting technique in which flowers are laid on top of each other. It is said to have been introduced to Kutani ware during the Taisho period (1912-1926). Hanazume is painted with Western pigments rather than Japanese pigments, which are the mainstream in Kutani ware. Flowers are painted to fill the pot and fired, and then the outlines of the flowers are outlined with gold paint and fired again to complete the process.
The rich colors of the flowers and the luster of the gold paint create a beautiful harmony.
In contrast to Japanese paints, which are applied thickly, those painted with Western paints are called “thin paints” in Kutani ware, and are considered one of the styles and techniques.

Fine brush strokes

This is a technique of writing classical literature such as the Kokin Wakashu (Anthology of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry) in a flowing style using an ultra-fine brush. This technique was established by Seizan Koyama at the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912). It is said to be a technique passed down from one generation to the next, and the works of Seito Tamura, the fourth generation to inherit this technique, are always popular. The neatly arranged characters, even when magnified, are as beautiful as the calligraphy of a brush.

Different artists and potters use different styles and techniques, and Kutani ware is enjoyed for its various expressions. It is fun to find out what kind of artists and potters are out there.