Japanese Goods, Arita Yaki / Imari Yaki
Traditional ceramics, potteries, porcelains in Japan
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Arita Yaki / Imari Yaki
Traditional ceramics, potteries, porcelains in Japan
Arita Yaki / Imari Yaki is a Japanese traditional porcelain, made in Arita, Saga Prefecture, Imari, Saga Prefecture. The word Imari Yaki is more famous in the world, however the subject that the two word describe is almost same. The porcelains have been fired around Arita and Imari, and exported from the Imari port, so people in abroad have called them Imari Yaki, and the Japanese have often called them Arita Yaki.
In the early 17th century, Lee Sanpei, who is a cratsman of porcelains and brought into Japan from Korea by the military of Hideyoshi, found the basic material of porcelain in Arita, and started to burn porcelains. First, Arita Yaki can only porduce blue colors on porcelains, called Sometsuke, and the products made in this era is especially called Early Imari style. Even today, you can enjoy a variety of Sometsuke products in Arita Yaki / Imari Yaki.
On the middle of 17th century, in Arita, craftsmen succeed to produce a variety of colors without red colors, and start to produce multicolored porcelains. They are called Old Kutani style, which has impressed green colors and yellow colors. Today, you can enjoy this style of products in Kutani Yaki (Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture).
In the late 17th century, Sakaida Kakiemon succeed to describe red colors on porcelains, and start to paint porcelains by pictorial expressions. He established the original sense of a beauty, the beauty of the white space on the margin, and it is called Kakiemon Style. In the same era, China got into confused internal affairs, and stop exporting porcelains to European countries. Alternatively, Arita Yaki / Imari Yaki started to export their porcelains and got the world reputation. Gold colored porcelains, Kinrande style, also established, and the best era came to Arita Yaki. Even today, Kakiemon's descendant making wonderful works.
From the middle of 18th century, Arita Yaki's exporting gradually reduced, and change the consumption to the domestic. Nabeshima Yaki, the royal pottery of Nabeshima kingdom, produced the best grade of Arita Yaki for presents to royalty and the aristocracy in Japan. Today, Imaizumi Imaemon succeeds the skills of Nabeshima Yaki.
In the meiji period, after the Tokugawa government was over, craftsmen of Arita Yaki started to export their works again immediately, but with more developed technique absorbing European science, and more developed enterprise system imitating European companies. In Wien, Expo 1873, Arita Yaki was awarded to the honor grand prize and established the world reputation (works). Today's companies of Arita Yaki, such as Fukagawa Seiji and Koransha, originate here.
Today an artistic craftsman of Arita Yaki, Inoue Manji, breaks through the traditions of Arita Yaki. However, more movements of Arita Yaki are expected, for example new materials or skills, new colors, shapes, and designs, new concepts of beauties, and etc.
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