ko-kutani ware

Ko-kutani Ware (Old Kutani)

Oldest Kutani ware

The oldest Kutani ware is called Ko-kutani ware. Why don't you decorate your dining table with vibrant tableware that evokes tradition?

Since its inception in the early Edo period, Ko-Kutani ware has become known for its vibrant colors and delicate painting.

Symbols of Ko-Kutani(Old kutani)

The greatest characteristic of the Ko-Kutani style is its vivid five-color palette (blue, yellow, red, purple, and navy blue). These colors are still referred to today as the Kutani Five Colors, and they are still treasured today. The use of these five colors gives life to the pottery and gives it a painterly expressiveness that gives it a powerful and unique appeal.

History of Ko-Kutani

The history of Kutani ware dates back to around 1655 in the early Edo period. Toshiharu Maeda, the first lord of the Daishoji Domain, which was a branch of the Kaga Domain, noticed the discovery of pottery stones at a gold mine in his domain in Kutani (present-day Yamanaka Onsen Kutani-machi, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture) and ordered Saijiro Goto, a goldsmith at the mine, to learn pottery making in Arita, Hizen Prefecture. He introduced these techniques and built a kiln in Kutani, which is said to have been the beginning of Kutani pottery.

The Kutani kilns suddenly closed in the early 1700s, but the cause is still unknown. The pieces fired during this period are known in later times as Ko-Kutani, and are highly regarded for their unique and powerful stylistic beauty as representatives of Japanese colored porcelain.

Today, Kutani porcelain is produced not only in Kaga province (formerly Daiseiji Clan), but also in a wide area of the prefecture, from Kanazawa to Terai and Komatsu, where a wide variety of artists and potters are active and carry on traditional ko-Kutani style as a representative craft of Ishikawa Prefecture.

Features of Ko-Kutani

The five colors of blue (green), yellow, red, purple, and navy blue are used to create bold compositions, spontaneous and free line drawings, and bold and deep flavors with a complete pictorial expressiveness. There is also a blue hand that does not use red among the five colors and fills in the paint.In addition, the style called “Aote,” in which four colors (blue, yellow, purple, and navy blue) are used to fill in the paint without using red, is a unique technique that distinguishes Kutaniyaki from other types of pottery.

The Secret of the Colors

The vivid colors of Ko-Kutani ware are the result of the use of special glazes and advanced firing techniques. The glaze that produces the colors is applied to the surface of the porcelain and fired at high temperatures to produce vibrant colors and luster. This technique makes the porcelain both durable and beautiful.

Features of the manufacturing process

The manufacturing process of Ko-Kutani ware is an important element that makes its unique design possible. Each step of the process, from clay selection, molding, painting, glazing, and firing, is carefully performed by the hands of artisans. In the painting process, delicate designs are drawn with a fine brush and then glaze is applied to bring out the vibrant colors.

Reasons for the enduring love of Kutani ware

The reason why ko-kutani ware has been loved for so long is not only its beauty. Ko-Kutani ware is a work of art that allows you to feel its history, culture, and craftsmanship every time you use it, and it brings rich colors and warmth to your daily life. Ko-Kutani ware is also popular as a gift and is chosen as a keepsake for special occasions or as a gift for a loved one.