Kujiri Kiln
This kiln is located in Kusiri, Izumi-cho, Toki-shi, Gifu Prefecture. Kushiri was written “chicken” in ancient times and “Gunjiri” during the Keicho period (1896-1615). The pottery industry in this area first came into the world during the Tensho period (1573-92), when Ichizaemon Kagemitsu Kato built a kiln on the hill behind Kusiri Seian-ji Temple. According to a document in the collection of the Kato Palace in Dachi Town, Keimitsu came to this area in August 1574. He was the second son (or according to one theory, the third son) of Shiroemon Kagesharu, the 13th generation of Seto Kageshiro (Fujishiro I). He used to live in Akatsu Village in Owari Province (Akatsu-cho, Seto City, Kuzumachi, Aichi Prefecture) and was well known for his pottery-making skills. However, he was in danger because of the envy of his peers, so he came to this area to seek help from a relative named Shin’emon of Kusjiri, and changed his name to Yosanbei.
However, it is said that it was not until 1583 (Tensho 11) that he made up his mind to live here permanently. After retiring, Keikō became a monk and lived at Seianji Temple, where he died on August 11, 1585, at the age of 73. His successors looked up to him and regarded him as the founder of Mino pottery. Kagemitsu had three sons, the eldest of whom was named Shirouemon-emonjo Kagenobu. During the Tensho era (1615-1626), he followed his father and moved to Kusiri, where he devoted himself to the pottery business. This was probably after the death of his father, Keiko. After returning to Japan, Kage-nobu built the Karatsu kiln and produced white-glazed ceramics for the first time. This kiln is known as the “Tool Kiln” or “Fujishiro Pottery. At that time, the kilns in Owari and Mino (Aichi and Gifu prefectures) were cellar kilns, but this Karatsu kiln from Hizen was a continuous climbing kiln. During the reign of Emperor Goyozei (1586-1611), when Emperor Shojincho asked for Kage-nen’s products, he offered a white-glazed tea bowl. The name “Asahi Pottery of Chikugo” was given to his work, and it was probably because of the excellence of his products that he was given this honor. He died on February 2, 1632. His grave is located at Nakajima, Kushiri, on the south side of Seianji Temple. On the front of the stone monument, there is an inscription that reads “Matsudake Kage-nen, hermit,” and on the back, “Fujiwara Kage-nen, governor of Chikugo, February 2, Kan’ei 9, 1632. Kage-nobu had three sons: Taro Uemon-no-Kageshige, Kuro Uemon-no-Kagesane, Shinbei-no-Kageshin (one theory says Kage-naka), and two other girls. Each of these descendants flourished and opened kilns in various places in the three counties of Toki, Kani, and Ena in Mino Province. (“Wohari no Hana”, “Gifu Prefecture Industrial History”)
Seianji Temple
Seianji Temple is located in Kusiri, Izumi-cho, Toki-shi, Gifu Prefecture. Kato Yosanbei Kagemitsu, the founder of the Mino Motoyashiki Kiln, was a potter from Seto, but on his way to Zenkoji Temple, he stopped by this temple and built it. The temple was later moved to this location and became the family temple of the Seto potter. The “Seto Ookamono Yakimono, Karatsu Yakimono Toritate no Kairaku” (A Record of the Origin of Mino Ceramics), which records the origin and history of Mino pottery, and the “Seianji Origin Record” dated January 15, 1658 (the first dog year of Manji), have been discovered. Seianji Temple is mentioned in both of these documents, making them the oldest currently known documents related to Seto and Mino old kilns, and their contents are said to be reliable.
Seian-ji Temple Document
This is an ancient record describing the origin and history of Mino ware, discovered at Seianji Temple in Kusiri, Izumi-cho, Toki-shi, Gifu Prefecture.
Although the correct title is “Seto Oogama Yakimono Namikara Karatsu Yakimono Toriryuki Kuroku Sho”, it is generally known as “Seianji Documents” or “Karatsu Yakimono Toriryoku Kuroku Sho” (The Origin of Karatsu Yakimono Toriryuki).
It is probably the oldest document related to Seto and Mino old kilns that is currently known, and its contents are considered to be a reliable source.
Although there were quite a few errors in the previous manuscripts, the original was recently discovered by Kato Karakuro.
The text in the manuscript refers to the “Setogama Sho no Jikki” in many ways similar to that of “Chakki Bengokushu” published during the Kanbun period (1661-73), and it is thought that there may be some connection between the two.
Chikugo Kiln
Chikugo-gama is the name given to Asahi ware made by Kage-nobu Kato of the Kusjiri Kiln in Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture), and is also sometimes referred to as Chikugo-gama. Chikudo Asahi ware
Chikugo no Asahiyaki
Shiroemon Kagenobu (also called Fujishiro), the eldest son of Kato Yosanbei Kagemitsu, the founder of the Kusjiri Kiln in Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture), was working at the Kusjiri Kiln when Mori Zen’emon, a ronin from Karatsu in Hizen Province (Saga Prefecture), happened to visit the area through his relationship with the priest at Seianji Temple. He finally accompanied Keienobu to Karatsu to inspect its methods. Upon his return, Keien built the Karatsu kiln and produced white glazed ceramics for the first time. This kiln is known today as the “Tool Kiln” or “Fujishiro Pottery. During the reign of Emperor Goyozei (1586-1610), Emperor Shojincho requested a white-glazed tea bowl from Kage-nen and dedicated it to him, and since then, he has contributed year after year. He was finally given the title of “Chikugo Kiln” or “Asahi Pottery of Chikugo” on July 5, 1597, and thus the name “Asahi Pottery” was given to the kiln. Asahi ware is said to have been named after the pottery founder Fujishiro, who was named after Shunkei Asahi. There is a monument to Kage-nobu in Nakajima, Kushiri, on the south side of Seianji Mountain, which reads, “Matsudake Kage-nobu hermitage, Chikugo guardian Fujiwara Kage-nobu on the second day of the second month of the ninth year of the Kan’ei era” (Gifu Industrial History). (Gifu Industrial History)
Shino ware
Shino ware is an elegant pottery produced in Seto kilns and is a type of Oribe ware.
Characteristics: Shino ware is characterized by a milky glaze with reddish-red fire coloring in places, or by the addition of sparse iron-glaze painting. The clay is white coarse sugar, and unlike other ceramics, the glaze is a pure feldspar glaze with penetrations. The iron-glazed patterns are extremely simple, and the coloring varies from black, brown, red, and rat, depending on the firing temperature. One of the unique characteristics of Shino pottery is the burnt red color around the base or at the edge of the cut at the bottom of the pot. Shino ware is a type of Oribe ware, as described below, and is a unique creation in Japan in both design and workmanship, and its ancient production is highly prized. In addition to tea bowls, Shino ware includes braziers, flower vases, water jars, water jugs, water pots, plates, inoguchi, mukozuke, incense cups, oil cups, and more. There are also specialty Shino teacups such as Ubana-hashi, Asahagi, Choyo, and Yamahata.
Types] (1) Plain Shino without Shino patterns. (2) E-Shino with underglaze iron sand painting. (3) Nezumi-Shino ware in which the Shino base is coated with iron-rich plaster, the pattern is carved, the coated base is removed, and a feldspar glaze is applied on top, giving the ware the appearance of being inlaid with inlaid decoration.
The finished product looks just like inlaying. There are two types of this type, one is a rat color and the other is a purple-brown color, depending on the degree of firing, but this is due to the difference in raw materials and the degree of kiln firing. (4) Akashino: This is the same technique as the former, but the iron mud used to make up the design has less iron content than the former, resulting in a reddish color. The design is the same as the former, but while the Nezumi-Shino does not have plain pieces, the Aka-Shino has plain pieces. (v) Beni-shino: A Shino base material coated with iron mud in a reddish hue, on which iron patterns are painted. Unlike Nezumi-Shino and Aka-Shino, which are both made by scraping off the surface by hand, this type is characterized by the use of iron to draw the pattern. (6) Neriage-Shino is also called kiri-te. This type of pottery was made by kneading clay with and without iron.
The origin of Shino ware is attributed to Yosanbei Kagemitsu Kato, who first went from Seto to Mino and began to make this type of ware. Yosanbei Kagemitsu, who formerly lived in Akazu and called himself Ichiemon, received a letter of red seal from Oda Nobunaga in 1574 (Tensho 2), but later moved to Mino because he feared that he might be jealous of his fellow potters and that he might be harmed. According to “Seto Oogama and Karatsu Oogama Toritate no Kurai”, Shirouemonemon-no-Kage-nobu, a son of Kagemitsu, produced white glazed tea bowls at the Kushiri kiln, which he presented to the Emperor Shojincho, who greatly praised them. This white glazed ware is Shino ware, and the popular belief that “Shino ware was made in Seto under the patronage of Shino Munenobu during the Bunmei Taiei Era” is a complete falsehood. In fact, as mentioned above, Shino ware originated in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The fact that many of the patterns of Shino ware are similar to those of Karatsu ware is due to the fact that Shiroemon Kagenobu followed Mori Zen’emon to Karatsu, where he learned how to climb kilns, and the Shino ware patterns were also influenced by him, or conversely, he transferred his techniques to Karatsu, which is why there is a similarity between Shino ware and Karatsu ware. It is therefore possible to infer that Shino ware and Karatsu ware are similar. This may also be a piece of supporting evidence to determine when Shino ware was first produced in Mino.
Shino pottery shards were excavated from the Kusari Oyayaki-shita Kiln, Kani-machi, Kani County, Gifu Prefecture, the Oyayaki-Muta-do Kiln, Oyayaki-Naka Kiln, Oyayaki-Yuemon Kiln, and Kusiri Motoyashiki Kiln in Izumi-cho, Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, and plain Shino, painted Shino and rat Shino were excavated from the Kusiri Takaneyama Kiln in the same town, while beni-Shino was also excavated from the Naka Kiln. These are all considered to be from the early Shino ware period. Shards of Shino ware from the Kushiri Kiln in Izumi Town, the Kushiri Motoyashiki Kiln in the eastern part of Kushiri Town, the southern and western parts of the Otomi Otomi Kiln in Izumi Town, the Jorinji Jorinji Kiln in Izumi Town, the Jorinji Sonotogawa Kiln in Izumi Town, and the Kamigo Kiln in Tsumaki Town are considered to have been made in the period following the above.
The name “Shino ware” has been somewhat confused with “Shino tea bowls” and “Shino ware” in the past, and some people have tried to explain the first appearance of Shino ware from the name Shino tea bowls found in tea ceremony records from the Tensho period (1532-1928), but Shino tea bowls are Chinese and not domestic (see “Shino tea bowls” section). Shino ware was mostly produced in Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Seto kilns. Shino ware as it appears in literature is described in “Seto Oogama Namini Ni Karatsu Oogama Toritate no Korai Kiraku” as “Well, this is a tea bowl made of white medicine that was first fired in this area by a potter who worked on the hearth of the forbidden imperial residence of the second Kato Shirouemon Lieutenant (Kageen)” and “Muneyuki Nikki” (Soyu Diary), September 21, Keicho 11 (1606), Furuta Oribe-kai, as “Kagoi Ima The same day, on the 8th of September, “A pottery was made at a place called Kushiri in Mino, 5 ri north of Akasu, Seto, Owari,” and “A pottery was made at a place called Kushiri in Mino on the same day. The pottery is not very good. The “Manpo-Zensho” says, “Oribe ware of tea bowls and tea caddies, and Oribe ware of tea bowls and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea bowls and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea caddies and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea caddies and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea caddies and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers, and Oribe ware of tea containers and tea containers. There are two types of Oribe, Seto Oribe and Karatsu Oribe, and one type, Go Oribe, which has appeared in modern times (see below). All of the above are referring to Shino ware as we know it today. In particular, the “Manpo-Zensho” (Complete Works of the Manpo-Era), for example, describes what is today called Shino ware next to Oribe ware. In addition, the “Kakkei-Secretary,” the first entry states, “Tea bowls have been available in recent times and Maoribe is a modern name. The “Meikiroku” also says, “Oribe and black oribe are named after Shino and Osaka Castle Soshin,” and “Osaka Castle Soshin is a tea master. Osaka Castle Muneyoshi is mentioned in the “Chajin Hanashinokyoku” as “Shiro Muneyoshi lived in Osaka and served the Marquis Toki Yosyu. He died in July of the first year of the Shoutoku era. The “Marquis of Toki Yōshū” is probably Yoriyasu Toki Iyōmori, who was the governor of Osaka Castle from 1691 to 1712. Furthermore, in the Keiki, from 1726 to 1729, the words “tea bowl (omitted) shinoyaki no shiro,” “water jar shinoyaki,” “tea caddy shinoyaki,” and “tea caddy shinoworibe” appear, as well as in manuscripts such as “Chasen chasen mukoshi sho,” “Tea bowl mukoshi sho,” and “Tea bowl mukoshi shu,” where the words shinoyaki and yaki are also found. In this way, it is possible to see that the characters for “shino-yaki” and “yaki” were used in the Shino ware. This suggests that the name “Shino ware” was first coined by an Osaka resident named Soshin Shiro between the Genroku and Shotoku periods (1688-1716), and that the name gradually became popular around the Kyoho period (1716-1366). The problem with the above presumption is that in 1785, Setomura Shigeemon and others wrote in a book about the origin of Shino ware that was sent to the tea masters of the Owari Domain, “In the Bunmei Era, there was a man named Shino Munenobu Shino who loved the tea ceremony and ordered Kato Soemon Harunaga to produce tea sets at the Kozeto and Tsubaki Kilns, which were then called Shino ware. In addition, there is a reference in the “Pottery Review” to “Shino” as “Shino roshi, Shino is a bowl originally painted with white medicine from the Ro-Sung period. （This is a copy of a book written by Munehisa Imai. Both of these books attribute the origin of Shino ware to Munehisa Shino, a Muromachi period (1333-1573) person, and this theory has been widely held for a long time as if it were a settled theory. However, as mentioned above, Shino ware was actually created in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, not in the Muromachi period. Furthermore, an examination of the contents of the two books reveals that although the former says Shino ware was produced in a stick kiln, no Shino glazed ware has been excavated from the same kiln. The latter says that Shino was originally a white-glazed painting shoe bowl from the Lu and Song dynasties, and cites a Lu and Song painting shoe bowl that cannot be considered from a variety of points of view. The reason why both texts refer to Shino ware as Shino Munenobu is probably due to a sentence in the Sakai-kan: “Shino tea bowls are owned by Shino Munenobu, a master artisan of the Shino school of tea bowls, and are known as Tadachawan. The name “Shino ware” was also apparently mistaken for “Shino” in later times, as shown in the above-mentioned “Appraisal Secretary”, when Muneyoshi Shiro initially inscribed the name “” on a tea container.
The above-mentioned “Manpo-Zensho” explains Shino ware under the name of Oribe ware, “Oribe Kuro Oribe Goyo wo Shino” in “Meikiroku”, “Oribe Shino Yaki” in “Chamori Chahon Meri-sho”, “Oribe Shino Yaki” in “Chawan Meri-sho”, “Yaki Oribe Yaki ni Tebeni Shino-Yaki” in “Kakkeisho”, and “Yaki Oribe Yaki ni Tebeni ni Tsuite Shino-Yakimono Ari” in “Kyo Oribe Kyoyaki”, as well as “Kyo Oribe Kyo Yaki Oribe-shino-yaki is a type of pottery that is similar to Shino ware, and Oribe ware is a type of pottery that is similar to Kyo-Oribe ware. The most convincing evidence of this is the fact that most of the old Shino ware box labels say “Oribe ware” or “Oribe shino” or “Shino Oribe”. In light of the above, we can say with certainty that Shino ware is a type of Oribe ware, and that Shino ware is an early form of Oribe ware in terms of ceramics.
*Oribe ware
Minoyaki (Mino ware)
It should also be noted that Shirouemon Kagenobu (1632, died February 2, Kan’ei 9), the eldest son of Kato Yosanbei Kagemitsu, went to Karatsu, Kyushu, and implemented the method of climbing kilns and the first appearance of white glazed Shino ware, which was produced by him. The transmission method of the Karatsu kiln gave rise to the so-called Oribe ware, and even if Shino ware was created before Kage-no Yaki, there is no doubt that Kage-no Yaki was one of the first to produce it, if not the first to do so. According to the “Record of Origins” of Seianji Temple, Kage-nobu presented a white glazed tea bowl to Emperor Shojincho (reigned 1557-86), which was given the name Chikugo no Asahi-te ware. Later, in 1587, he presented another pottery to Emperor Goyozei (reigned 1587-1611). The following is a draft of the Chikugo no Mamoru Nobutome’s oral proclamation.
High Priest Nakayama Dainagon
Decree of July 5, Keicho 2
Fujiwara Kage-nobu
Appointment of Chikugo no Mamoru
Kuraininchu Uichiben Fujiwara Mitsutoyo
