2 7 6 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
ments, and finally with colored enamels. In Awata ware, as 
indeed in all the products of Kioto, the pate of choice old 
specimens is close and hard ; the glaze is lustrous, and the 
crackle fine and uniform, while the enamels are clear, brilliant, 
and carefully applied. 
Although Ninsei's name must ever be remembered in dis- 
cussing the history of the ceramics of Kioto, others ap- 
proached him very closely in point of skill. Among his com- 
petitors was Ogata Sansei, commonly called Kenzan, who was 
born in the suburbs of Kioto in 1660 — just at the time when 
the art of producing the purple, yellow, turquoise and green 
faience of Cochin China, as well as the blue and white, coral- 
red, and enameled porcelains of China, and it is said that the 
only two things he could not copy were the glaze of the Delft 
faience and the transmutation glazes of the Po-yang lake. 
With the exception of the wares already alluded to, there 
is none better known, outside of Japan, than the Kutani 
ware, which owes its origin, it is believed, to Mayeda Toshi- 
haru, Lord of Taichoji, in the Province of Kaga, who between 
1635 and 1660 caused a kiln to be built in the village of 
HIGO OR YATSUSHIRO KUTANI NINSEI (WOMAN AND KOTO) 
IMBE OR BIZEN 
Ninsei's methods had fairly won their way to public favor. 
He was a painter of considerable promise, but his preference 
lay in the ornamentation of pottery. He developed a bold 
style of his own, combined with a very skillful disposition of 
tints, and soon became an eminent representative of the Jap- 
anese school. He preferred designs in black, russet-brown 
and blue to those in colored enamels and gold. His best 
pieces were made at Awata, and all were marked with the 
name "Kenzan." 
Another great potter was Mokubei, whose processes were 
extended, and in later years perfected, by Zengoro-Hozen, 
commonly called Eiraku, which names attaches to the ware 
now under consideration. His specialty was in the manufac- 
ture of urns. The genius of the father was inherited by his 
posterity, and in the eleventh generation was represented by 
Zengoro-Hozen, who at first confined himself to the produc- 
tion of unglazed urns for the use of tea-clubs. His manner of 
blending pastes of different colors gave promise of greater 
achievements, and he soon developed such skill that his cela- 
dons and pieces decorated with blue under the glaze, attracted 
wide attention. His fame reached the ears of the Lord of 
Kishii, who in 1827 invited Zengoro to his province, where, 
within the precints of the castle park, a kiln was erected, and 
here was produced the celebrated Oniwa or Kairaku ware, an 
imitation of Chinese faience. The Kinrande porcelain, of 
scarlet and gold brocade pattern, was one of his achievements, 
and it also bears the mark "Eiraku." The idea of this porce- 
lain was derived from the Chinese "rouge vif" of the Yung-lo 
period (1403-1425), and the Japanese potter succeeded in pro- 
ducing a color but little inferior to that of the original. His 
powers of imitation were remarkable, and it is recorded that 
a tea-urn secretly borrowed from the custodian of the Kono-e 
heirlooms, was so perfectly imitated at the Eiraku workshop, 
that it was impossible to distinguish the imitation from the 
original. This feat procured for him a new seal bearing the 
inscription "Tokin-Ken", ("The mighty potter"), although 
his mark is not found upon his wares. He had now mastered 
Kutani, placing it under the charge of his vassal, Tamura Gon- 
zayemon. No ceramic industry had existed in Kaga before 
that event. The productions of the Kutani kiln were after 
the fashion of the old Seto ware, and included tea jars and 
water vessels of dark clay, covered with a light chocolate 
glaze. During the seventeenth and early part of the eight- 
eenth centuries Kutani wares had either a deep green glaze, 
or sometimes yellow, purple or a soft Prussian blue; or else 
were decorated somewhat after the Arita style, except that 
the Kutani potters probably never employed blue under the 
glaze in conjunction with enamels. The chief colors were 
green and red, supplemented by purple, yellow, blue (enamel) 
and gold. The designs included miniature landscapes, flowers 
ruffled by the breeze, sparrows perched among plum branches 
and other simple glimpses of nature. Occasionally figures of 
children at play formed the subject of the decoration; but 
brilliant ornamentation, such as peacocks, groups of peonies, 
figures of saints, or brightly dressed ladies, etc., was entirely 
wanting in this ware, and any specimens so ornamented are 
the product of manufacturers of modern times. 
In the province of Kishu, during the first quarter of the 
nineteenth century, the head of one of the reigning families 
caused a private kiln to be built for the manufacture of porce- 
lain, decorated with blue under the glaze. Here in 1827 came 
Zengoro Hozen, whom we have already noticed in alluding to 
Eiraku ware. He introduced the use of a paste sometimes 
white and sometimes a reddish grey, Very fine, and varying 
from porcelain to faience, but for the most part a hard stone 
ware. The glazes, which were remarkably rich and beautiful, 
included purple, green, turquoise, yellow and white. In some 
examples a purple ground was covered with scroll-work in 
relief, portions of which were filled with turquoise blue, while 
in others there is a rich green mold, marbled with purple, or 
decorated with medallions in yellow, purple, white and blue. 
It is said that glazes showing greater richness, luster and purity 
of color were never produced in Japan. 
The ware known as " Imbe " was produced at a place of 
