Five Must-See Kutani Wares at the Nomi City Kutani Art Museum

Selected by Director Nakaya of the Nomi City Kutani Art Museum
"Five Kutani-Ware Works You Must See".

Mr Nakaya, the director of Gosaikan, the Nomi City Kutani Ceramic Art Museum, is also a Kutani ceramics historian and has a wide range of knowledge from early Kutani to contemporary Kutani ware. He is a specialist in Kutani ware and has a wide range of knowledge from early Kutani to modern Kutani ware artists. He also talked about their charms and characteristics.

The first is Ko Kutani Aote.
The strength and boldness of this piece, which retains the dignity of the Warring States period, is a must-see.

The first item on display that is a must-see in the museum is "KOKUTANI Aote Basho Flat Bowl".

KOKUTANI flat bowl, Basho design in underglaze blue, early Edo period There are two styles of Ko-kutani pottery.

There are two styles of Ko-kutani pottery.
One is "Aote", a style in which the entire bowl is filled with paint, like an oil painting, and the other is "Gosai-te", a style in which the bowl is painted with an empty space, like a Japanese-style painting.
I particularly like Aote. It has strong lines and a bold touch. And the three rich colours (green, yellow and purple). I never get tired of looking at it.

The charm of Ko-Kutani lies in its strength and unbridled nature. It is a pottery that contains a dynamism that shocks the viewer's soul, even if it is a bit rough and opulent, as if it expresses the temperament of the feudal lords who inherited the aesthetic sense of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods.

 

Iroe porcelain was scarce at the time and its production methods were unknown. Under these circumstances, Ko-Kutani incorporated the most advanced techniques of Ming Dynasty China, yet its expression was not an imitation of Chinese techniques. Ko-Kutani is an entirely original expression.

 

It is amazing that such a brilliant and original art form was created in the mountains of Kaga, far from the island of Dejima in Kyushu, during the period of national isolation in the early Edo period. It was the support of the Maeda family that made such a feat possible. In the early Edo period, when Ko-Kutani was produced, the Tokugawa era had just begun. The Maeda family was still powerful, and the Maeda family spirit of "conquering the world with culture even in the Tokugawa era" can be felt in Ko-Kutani. The power and boldness of Ko-kutani still retains the dignity of the Warring States period.

The Kosu lines (gosu is a black contour line), drawn freehand without hesitation and with great strength, are magnificent. The grain patterns around the edge are also beautiful. The grain patterns around the edge are also rhythmic and without hesitation. It's a unique way of looking at the world, isn't it? An atmosphere that can only be found in Ko-Kutani. The power of the vessel is as if to say, "How do you like it? I feel the power of the whole ship.

The second is the re-emerging Kutani blue handles.
I hope you will like to compare it with Ko-Kutani.

about 50 years, and the Maeda family stopped producing coloured porcelain. However, about 100 years later, Kutani ware was again produced in the area. They are called "Re-enlightened Kutani".

The second piece recommended here is "Kabu ni yukin no zu hirabachi" (flat bowl with a turnip and birds) from the Matsuyama kiln, one of the kilns of the re-established Kutani ware. Matsuyama Kiln is a kiln that was established to revive the Koya Kutani blue-te style.

Kiln, Matsuyama Kiln, flat bowl with turnip and fowl design, late Edo period

Kiln, Matsuyama Kiln, flat bowl with turnip and bird design, late Edo period The use of colours is the same as in the Ko-Kutani aote style, but the turnip and bird designs are cute and cheerful. The impression is different from the Ko-Kutani aote style.

Rather than being powerful, it has a softer atmosphere. At this time, more than 200 years have passed since the Warring States period, and it can be said that it was a very peaceful time.
Such peace in the world can be seen in the style of the paintings.
We hope that visitors to Gosaikan will compare the Ko-Kutani aote and the Matsuyama-kiln aote and enjoy the differences.

The third piece is from Kutani Shoza's younger days.
Note the expressions on the faces of the people and the patterns on their kimonos.

Kutani Shozo was a central figure in the Japanese Kutani pottery boom in Europe during the Meiji period (1868-1912). The third item in our recommended exhibition is a work made by Shozo in his younger days.

Ono kiln, bowl with a hundred old men in red glaze, late Edo period.

Shoza developed "coloured gold brocade" during the Meiji period (1868-1912). His works travelled to Europe, creating a boom in kutani ware and achieving success, but before reaching this point Shoza mastered various techniques.

Akae Hosogaki is one of them. The "Akae Hyakuro Zu Bowl" is said to be the first work of Akae Hoso-gaki that Shoza made on the Ono kiln.

Not only are the finely drawn lines superb, but each person's expression is different, as are their gestures and movements. The kimono patterns are also painted differently.

In fact, the vessels have kiln scratches (marks made when the vessels are fired in the kiln). Where is the scar? On the right side, facing you, there is a person holding a walking stick as if with both hands. This is the part of the stick. The stick is well drawn along the scar to make the wound less noticeable.
This is a work of art that should be viewed with attention.

The fourth work is a color painting by Shoza.
It is painted on the assumption that it will be watered.

Shoza was greatly influenced by Genemon Awasuya, a genius in the field of overglaze enamel, who was also invited to Onogama. Awasuya Gen'emon produced some interesting works, and some of Shoza's colour paintings are unique.
This is the fourth exhibition, "Horse basin with landscape turtle design in overglaze enamel".

Shoza is well known for his fine red paintings and beautiful colourful gold brocade, but his work in colour is also excellent. The very idea of using ceramics to make a bowl is very innovative and interesting, isn't it? The fact that the painting was done on the premise that it would be filled with water is also a masterpiece.

The outline of the tortoise is distorted in places. When filled with water, the turtle will certainly look like it is moving. Shoza's expressiveness is amazing.

The inside of the tarai is also covered with landscapes.

The fifth work is a painting by Itaya Hazan and Muro Saisei, Shoza's flat bowl, which reveals the possibility of exchange between Itaya Hazan and Muro Saisei.

Itaya Hazan is one of Japan's leading ceramic artists. Saisei Muro is a famous poet and novelist from Kanazawa City. This "Hirabachi with Morning Glory and Kitten in Overglaze Enamels" shows the possibility of interaction between these two artists.

 

Kutani Shoza, flat bowl with morning glory and kitten in overglaze enamel, early Meiji period.

The kitten looking up at the spider that has been threaded down from the morning glory is a truly humorous and charming work. This flat bowl is said to have once been in the collection of Itaya Hazan, and Muro Saisei describes the design of this work in detail in his short story "Kutani Shoza". It can be assumed that Saisei was shown this flat bowl by Hazan.

There is one other point to note in this work. It is the two kittens depicted. I was very curious about these cats. I thought I had seen these cats somewhere before, so I looked around and found a picture of the same cats in Hokusai's painting book (a picture book that Katsushika Hokusai prepared for his students).
I was so happy to think, "Shoza must have painted the cat after Hokusai's painting," and I felt the romance of the story, which was different from that of Ko-kutani.

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