Conflicting claims as to the discovery of porcelain clay in Japan give to Kanagai Risam pei (about 1605) or to Takahira Goroschichi (1625) the credit. The latter is said to have found porcelain stone at the hill Izumi-yama (Hizen province), but as a recent opening of the grave of the former disclosed 'blue under glaze true porcelain made from Izuma-yama clay, it would appear 1605 was the date of the discovery. And now was made the °Old Japan° ware prized of Western collectors. It was made at Arita, Hizen province, and sent to the port of Imari, whence the European traders exported it to Europe. Hence we find the anomalous fact that one and the same ware is known to the Western World as Arita, Hizen and Imari ware.
Arita Ware.—Sakaida Kakiemon was Arita's chief potter in early days, and 'learned the process of snaking red and green enamels. By 1646 he started making a ware that became world renowned. With a blue underglaze of fine quality and lustreless red, green and blue enamels (overglaze) and gold, and, by creating a new style of decoration, on fine paste and milk-white glaze, the product was superb. Avoiding the Chinese system of filling in the spaces with accessories, Kakiemon satisfied him self with carefully painted medallions, a piece of bamboo, or plum or pine, a phcenix, or flut tering birds, leaving the large remaining space as untouched ground color. By 1660 the style was in its perfection; and his descendants continued the now famous Kakiemon style. Early underglaze blue decoration was perfect, but in the later output it has a tendency to "run" when subjected to the second firing, mak ing specimens with unblurred blue in the deco ration quite rare. On account of its diaper, scroll and floral subjects the early Arita pieces were termed Nishiki-de ("brocade pattern"). In the 17th century already European made to-order tendencies appear in both shapes and decorations, and lilac blue, russet-brown, purple black and lemon-yellow were added to the enamel palette. Arita "egg-shell" was not made probably till the latter part of the 18th cen tury, and the "warriors in armor" and "courtesans in elaborate costume" figure sub jects are strictly modern, for the most part. Chinese marks prevail. Seto made, besides its earthenware (Toshiro-yaki), porcelain, in fact it became so well known in Japan as to cause all porcelain ware to be termed Setomono. Kutans-yaks (Kaga province) is a porcelain made since middle of the 17th century, but to Goto Saijiro, some years later, is successful work due. Its two wares are Ao-Kutani, with brilliant deep green glaze, also blue, purple, yellow colors in designs of diapers, floral and scroll motifs, etc.; another ware ("red" variety) had, mainly, red and green, assisted by blue, purple, yellow, gold and silver. The soft, opaque Kutani red is noted. The artist Kuzumi Morikaga's Kano school style miniature land scapes, sparrows, "ruffed" flowers, are admired. Ko-Kutani (old ware) vases, plates, small dishes, cups, sake bottles, censers, incense boxes (kogo) are scarce and prized, but by 1750 only common wares were being made. In 1809 the factory was moved to Yamashiro-mura and Ko Kutani style revived till 1865 in stoneware body with lustrous glaze colors (green, purple, blue, yellow). Kutani red decoration pieces are known now as Kaga. A Satstuna porcelain kiln was started in 1661, but ran only two years; in 1779 Arita style porcelain was made here of some merit in its paste, softer and whiter than Imari, its enamel decoration gave place, in 1868, to blue and white. Hirado-yaki — Brinkley says
this is "perhaps the finest porcelain manufac tured in Made at Mikawachi-yama. Originally made heavy reddish stoneware, but fine porcelain stone, discovered at Fukae (1712), mixed with local material produced a body of "exceptional fineness and purity." Matsura, the Hirado chief, subsidized the factory forbidding sales and only court and presentation ware was produced— termed Kenjo-mono. It has a velvet-like, lustrous surface, without the "Old Japan° granulation. Decoration is mostly blue of exquisitely soft and clear tone in details of wonderfully clear details. Pieces are of all forms, even human figures, children, Bodhi satvas, etc. Few of the finest pieces are marked. Japanese porcelain varieties and kilns are in numerable.
The subject of Japanese ceramics would be very imperfectly told without special mention of their great genius, Hozan, second only to Ninsei. He was llth descendant of a ceramic family noted for their fire-boxes (faro). Early in the 19th century he studied at Awata and soon became famous for his celadons, blue and-white porcelain, faience, especially imita tions of Cochin China faience. The chief of Kishu (1827) invited him to start a kiln in his castle park, where he made the celebrated Oniwa-yaki (honorable park ware) or Kaira ku-en ware. His aubergine porcelains, com binations of turquoise blue, purple and yellow faience glazes were far superior to later ones. His famous "Kinrande" (scarlet-and-gold brocade) style, or “Akaji-kinga" (gold designs on red ground), bear the "Eiraku" stamp. This red was lustrous yet exquisitely soft. In 1840 i he opened a kiln in Narikata-machi (in Kioto), where he made faience in Ninsei style. His pieces from this kiln are called "Omuro-yaki." Later he made blue-under-glaze on Lake Biwa shore, in Akaji-kinga style under the name Butsuya, and died about 1855. Marks: Some are impressed with a seal, some scratched, some painted. They are frequently the names of places where made, as Asahi, Minato, etc., but the potter's name is the most frequent.
Bibliography.—Audsley, G. A., and Bowes, J. L., 'Keramic Art in Japan' (London 1881) ; Atkinson, R. W., 'Note on the Porcelain Indus try in Japan) (in Asiatic Society of Japan, Yokohama 1880) ; Blacker, T. F., 'Chats on Oriental China' (New York 1908) ; Bowes, J. L.,
Pottery) (Liverpool 1890); Brinkley, Capt. F., 'Japan: Its History, Arts and Literature' (Boston and Tokio 1901-02) ; Burty, P.,