Modern Life and Pottery
It is necessary to have a knowledge of the concept of pottery, which is the container for daily meals and tea utensils, in our daily life. Nowadays, pottery is used not only for building houses, but also for clothing and accessories. Therefore, it must be said that pottery is inseparably related to our daily life.
Essential Knowledge of Pottery
Whether it is because of this or not, the number of people who study the appreciation and use of pottery has been increasing, and the desire for knowledge has become more and more intense, both for pleasure and for practical use, from decorative objects on the floor to daily necessities in the kitchen. In this age of cultural development, which is becoming more and more complex and varied, it is necessary for those who are to be leaders, such as policy makers and daring educators, to cultivate their knowledge in a wider range of fields. I am not a sailor who has embarked on a voyage of discovery without a chart and compass.
In addition to pottery makers and co-sellers, students also need to have some prior knowledge of production methods and products, and this is especially essential for potters who are interested in appreciating pottery. Therefore, if you wish to know the essential character and history of this pottery, you must first learn about the history of Hizen ceramics, which has been used throughout the country, or you will be unqualified to speak about pottery.
This book explains what pottery is, and then describes the close relationship between mankind and pottery, and the history of pottery in our country, and then describes the history of each mountain in Hizen and its pottery types. The body of the pottery is the main body of the pottery.
The Body of Pottery
The main body of pottery is a crystalline body of silicate, or in other words, a crystalline body of oxidized metal and silicate. In other words, it is a durable object that has color and plasticity as a result of the co-firing of oxidized metal and vitreous material.
Name of Pottery
The name “pottery” is derived from the ancient name of sueno-utsuha, meaning “suenobo” (ancient earthenware was rounded at the bottom and could not be installed, but was later shaped into a potter’s wheel, thread cutter, thread bottom, thread butt, and hineridome), and later became earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, and all other types of pottery, Later, all pottery, whether earthenware, stoneware, or porcelain, was generally referred to as ceramic. Earthenware is more fragile than sue-motherware and is called hajimono, hani-mono, hajino-utsuha-mono, which is an abbreviation for haniwa or haniwa clay ware. （Hani” refers to red clay or clay clay clay.)
Porcelain ware and others
The so-called “celadon” of old is celadon, which is also called “ahoshi” or “secret color,” and was a very valuable ware at the time. Of course, it was only in later periods that the clay was changed to porcelain. Stoneware is fired to the hardness of sandy pottery. Porcelain is said to have been named after the white porcelain produced in the porcelain kilns of Changdefu, Henan Province (now Guangdong, Jiangsu Province) during the Song Dynasty in China.
Types of Pottery
In modern times, pottery is divided into five categories: earthenware (arsenic ware), pottery (fuhayans or potteries), hardware (ironstone china or hardpottery), stoneware, and porcelain (boehslein). Earthenware and pottery are classified as soft pottery, and stoneware and porcelain as hardware.
Hard and Soft Pottery
Even if made from soft raw materials, hard ware can be produced depending on the firing technique and the degree of heat, and soft ware can be produced from hard raw materials depending on the method described above. In the end, therefore, there is no other way but to distinguish them according to the product using the kiln as the mother vessel. However, it is difficult to determine at first glance how much of the soft pottery is earthenware and how much is stoneware, so some pieces are fired somewhere between pottery and stoneware.
The distinction between soft and hard ceramics is not a matter of whether they are fired by kneading clay or by crushing stone, but rather whether the fired product is clay-like or stone-like, and whether it absorbs water or not, whether it is non-porous or not. The only difference is whether the material is clay-like or stone-like, and whether it absorbs water or not. However, only porcelain can be distinguished by the transparency of its white sleeve and the solidity of its base.
Hardness and Softness of Porcelain
Porcelain, which is called stoneware, also has hardness and softness depending on the raw material and firing temperature, and also has various characteristics. For example, Arita porcelain fired with a natural magnet is not pure white in hue, but it is the crown jewel of this type in terms of hardness. Porcelain fired from amakusa, which is the same mineral, is more prone to rimming than the previous type. Porcelain from Seto and Mino are very pure white in hue due to the raw materials used, but they are soft and easily split in two, like glass.
Porcelain is made of porcelain clay, feldspar, and quartzite, and is fired at temperatures from 700 to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The dense and solid base does not absorb moisture and produces a clear metallic sound when struck, which is the most advanced type of pottery. The most representative of this type of pottery are Arita-yaki from Hizen, Hasami-yaki from Mikawachi, and Ureshino-yaki from Ureshino, Kiyomizu-yaki from Kyoto, Seto-yaki from Owari, Tajimi-yaki from Mino, Kutani-yaki from Kaga, Aizu-yaki from Iwashiro, Tobe-yaki from Iyo, Izushi-yaki from Tajima, Sanda-yaki from Settsu, and Hira-shimizu-yaki from Hamae.
Stoneware
Stoneware is made by mixing clay and sand, and its firing temperature is from 1,000 to 1,200 degrees Celsius. It is as hard and dense as porcelain, and when struck heavily, it produces a stony sound and does not absorb moisture at all. The color is often light brown or bluish-blue due to the iron content of the clay, but there are also vermilion, white, and pear-skin muds among the unglazed wares. The following types of pottery belong to this category: Tokoname ware from Owari, Banko-yaki from Ise, Soma ware from Iwaki, Ibe ware from Bizen, Marubashira ware from Iga, Takatori ware from Chikuzen, Chosa ware from Osumi, Yashiro ware from Higo, Iwami ware from Iwami, Kasama ware from Hitachi, Mashiko ware from Shimono, Onkyo-Shai from Mino, and many more.
Hard Pottery
Hard ceramics are made of porcelain, feldspar, and quartz, and are fired at about 1,200 degrees Celsius, the opposite of porcelain, and then fired at about 1,000 degrees Celsius with a soft glaze. The color is opaque milky white, and it is porous and absorbs water. This process was created in the modern age, and its makers include Matsumura Hardware Toki Gomei Kaisya in Nagoya, Mitsuhiki Seito Kaisya in Nagoya, Nippon Toki Kabushiki Kaisha in Nagoya, Kaga Seitosho in Kaga, Nippon Hardware Toki Kabushiki Kaisha in Kanazawa (based in Busan), Toyotoki Kabushiki Kaisha in Kokura, Yamasho Seito Kaisya in Yokkaichi, and Teikoku Kogyo Kaisya in Arita. and Teikoku Kogyo Kaisya in Arita, among others.
Semi-porcelain
There is another type of pottery called semi-porcelain, which is made from siliceous-soled materials. They are mainly composed of clay with a small amount of feldspar to prevent transparency, and are often dark-colored, such as his Taisho Banko. This type of pottery was generally made for trade, mainly because it was lightweight for transportation, and its opaqueness was intended to reduce local customs duties.
Pottery
Compared to porcelain, pottery has more clay and less feldspar than porcelain, and has a coarse texture that produces a wooden sound when struck. The firing temperature ranges from around 900 degrees Celsius to as high as 1,200 degrees Celsius. The clay is dark or white in color and absorbs moisture. The oldest types are Karatsu ware from Hizen, Shigaraki ware from Omi, Awata ware from Kyoto, Ueno ware from Buzen, Nayogawa ware from Satsuma, Hagi ware from Nagato, Akahada ware from Yamato, Fushina ware from Izumo, Tamihira ware from Awaji, and many other types, as well as majolica (quartz) and common tiles.
Earthenware
Earthenware is a type of pottery that has been produced simply since the beginning of mankind, and although it is one of the poorest types of pottery, it is a scientific distinction, and it is needless to say that there are surprisingly high prices for tea utensils that are cherished as antiques by connoisseurs.
Earthenware is fired only from clay and is fragile, porous, and coarse, making a clay sound when struck, and absorbing a great deal of moisture. The firing temperature is usually between 450 and 700 degrees Celsius (SET), and the ware may or may not be glazed. Ancient Yayoi earthenware, haniwa and haniwa clay vessels, Raku ware from Kyoto, Imado ware from Muso, Ohi ware from Kaga, as well as roof tiles, roasting stoves, and portable furnaces all belong to this category.
