Kuromuta is a pottery production area in Hizen Arita. Its history is the same as that of Arita (Uchiyama), but the colored pottery period seems to have been earlier than that of Arita. There are ruins of old kilns. It is famous for plate making, and made 4-inch plates, which were considered difficult to make in Arita Sarayama. In addition, he produced hexagonal, octagonal, oblong, square, and corner-cut dishes, as well as sea bream and courtesan-shaped dishes, many of which were over glazed in Arita. The most famous examples include Kojiro Fukushima, Yaokichi Kajiwara, Hanpei Kajiwara, and Kenichi Kajiwara, all of whom were born in the early Meiji period (1868-1912).
Kuromuta Kiln
Kuromuta was located in Takeuchi Village, Kijima County, Hizen Province (Takeuchi Town, Takeo City, Saga Prefecture). This pottery kiln was established slightly later than the Kuromuta Kiln in Arita Town, Nishimatsuura County. It is of the Kihara lineage, and from the excavated pieces, it seems to have mainly produced painted Karatsu and Hakeme style wares. In later years, porcelain was also produced. (Shinichi Terauchi)
