The mainstay of Nabeshima ware is a set of four types of identical-style plates, called kibai-gata, which were fired at the Okouchi clan kiln. They are generally referred to as shaku-dara, shichisun-dara, gosun-dara and sansun-dara. Most of them are round, with a slightly high foot ring. Although there are differences in size, the shape of the dishes is extremely simple and uniform, so for people who like dishes with a lot of variety and originality, they probably won’t find these very interesting.
Indeed, they are quite different from the tea ceramics of the Momoyama period. It is thought that these standardized wooden-cup-shaped plates began to be produced in large numbers from 1675 onwards, with the peak period being around the Genroku era, but if we consider that the rough-surfaced, painted Karatsu plates, bowls and side dishes in the Momoyama style were being produced in large numbers at the same Hizen kilns were being produced in the same kilns in Hizen, I can’t help but feel that the great changes in quality and aesthetic sense shown in these works are almost too great to be thought of as having occurred in the same place, and that I am not the only one who feels the magic of time as if for the first time.
The period from Enpo The period from the Enpō era to the Kyōhō era was the heyday of the Okawachi domain kilns, and after concentrating on researching several hundred pieces that I thought were made during that time, my perception of Nabeshima ware changed completely. In the past I had seen many of the representative works, and I thought I knew that the technical perfection of Nabeshima ware was the highest of all Japanese polychrome porcelain, but the high level of skill demonstrated in the works far surpassed that of Kakiemon ware, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the finest pieces could be compared to the imperial kilns of the Kangxi and Yongzheng eras. The imperial kilns of the Qing Empire and the kilns of a feudal lord on the Japanese archipelago were probably not comparable in scale, but the fact is that the Nabeshima clan’s kilns had already perfected the superb polychrome porcelain that was produced at the imperial kilns of the Kangxi and Yongzheng eras. , it was achieved in just 60 or 70 years from the creation of Japan’s first blue and white porcelain, and this astonishing phenomenon is probably unparalleled in the history of ceramics in any other country. the fact that this phenomenon came about is a testament to the awesome power of the domain under the shogunate system, and it was achieved by selecting skilled artisans from the private kilns under the control of the Arita Sarayama magistrate and treating them as quasi-samurai, and by making special adjustments to the clay, glaze and pigments. interesting historical document that tells the story of the relationship between the two has been passed down. It is a written order issued by the clan to the Arita Sarayama magistrate in 1693, and it gives a good idea of the situation at the clan kilns at the time. It is thought that the reader will gain more from reading the full text than from a summary, so we will introduce the full text here.
“To the Arita Sarayama magistrate From “To the Arita-Sarayama Magistrate
- I hereby inform you that the Ookawachi pottery makers will be presenting their wares to you. The elders and those in charge of the presentation will be contacting you, so please take care to receive them with the utmost care and attention. it is not necessary to mention the matter of being careless, but it is important to make sure that everything is done without delay and in the correct order. In addition, if any of the performers show signs of being lazy, they should be reported to the head of the troupe, and if they are found to be at fault, they should be reported accordingly.
- In recent years, the pottery has been made poorly and is not available, especially for offerings or for those who have been sent, if it is made poorly before, it is not possible to say that it is like the way of the order, so it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that it is not possible to say that , I would like to ask the inspectors to inform the deputy head, Mokubei, and the deputy head, Kizaemon, of the need to ensure that the work is done carefully and thoroughly. If, in the future, there is any carelessness or confusion, and the pottery is not made, then you must be held responsible.
- If the pottery is made, it is not good enough to be late. This is ultimately up to Mokubei and Kisaemon. I would like you to be sure to inform them that you will be making a report from time to time as you see fit, and of course, even after you have made your report and disposed of the matter as you see fit, I would like you to continue to investigate and make sure that no wrongdoing has occurred, so that the people involved will understand.
- As the pottery presented each year is the same and not rare, from now on, when a new item is made in Wakayama, it should be inspected from time to time, and if there is a rare pattern, a note should be taken and sent to the person in charge, and it should be ordered to be fired. the method of firing should be examined carefully and arrangements made to ensure that it is done properly.
- The pottery items to be presented should be fired in the kilns at Wakiyama and then sold at a commercial price. Article 1: The various craftsmen at Wakiyama should be instructed not to come and go to the Okochi Hon Shokosho (the main pottery workshop) without permission.
Article 1 Even the leftover offerings and the usual burnt offerings cannot be taken by the wolves, so please talk to the elders and the people in charge of the offerings and sometimes throw them away.
One, If there are any skilled craftsmen in the Wakiyama area, they should be assigned to the main workshop. Also, even if there are any unskilled craftsmen who have been assigned to the main workshop, they should be assigned to the main workshop.
The above clause, please make sure that everyone involved is fully aware of the meaning of the above, and that they will adhere to it in the future. If there are any problems, please report them. If there are any cases where the above is not strictly adhered to, please report them. Sarayama Deputy Official
(From “A Study of Nabeshima Pottery”)
As you can see, detailed instructions were issued, and the work was carried out under the guidance of Mokuhei and Kizaemon Soeda, but among them, “Do not take out the leftovers of the offerings or the burned items. and the person in charge of gifts, and to occasionally discard them” shows how strictly the products were controlled and how wary they were of imitation. It also notes that ‘recent works are very different from the past and are poor’, but from this we can infer that extremely excellent works were already being produced before 1693.
In According to the old records of the Nabeshima inner storehouse, the Nabeshima clan kiln is said to have been established in Iwayagawachi, Arita, in 1628. was around the time that Arita’s blue and white porcelain was beginning to emerge from its initial period, but according to old records, the kiln was managed by Kisaiemon Hishin, the founder of the Sukeda family, who would later become the head of the Nabeshima clan kilns for generations to come, so it seems that the purpose was to have special wares made for the lord. Mr. Kazaburo Mizumachi, who excavated the kiln ruins that are thought to be the ruins of the Iwayagawa Domain kiln, speculated that “the fragments excavated from these kiln ruins are blue and white coarse porcelain of the Joseon Yi Dynasty, but among these numerous fragments, some slightly thin pieces with a traditional pattern are also found. He It is thought that the painstakingly made goods were probably of this type, and it seems that celadon ware had already been fired, but it was unfinished and not of very high quality. In any case, there were no products from the clan kilns that showed any particular characteristics at this time, and it seems that the majority of the wares were similar to the works that are known today as the early Imari blue and white porcelain.
This Iwayagawachi’s Goudouyama chief first deputy Kizaemon Hishinobu died in 1654, and his business was taken over by his son Kizaemon Kiyosada, but in the Kanbun era the official kiln was moved to Minamikawara. Minamikawara Harayama was the location of the Kakiemon kilns, and during the Kanbun era, Kakiemon’s red-glazed ware was already at the height of its popularity. According to research by Kazaburo Mizumachi, it is thought that the clan kiln was located next to the Kakiemon kilns. , it is thought that the purpose of moving the kiln here was to use the overglaze enameling techniques of the Kakiemon kiln, with the intention of continuing the policy of overglaze enameling at the clan kiln.
The clan kiln at Minamigawara was in operation for a little over ten years, from the beginning of the Kanbun era until it was moved to Okochiyama in 1675, but the works produced during this period are just as unclear as those from Iwayagawachi. However, Mizumachi collected a small number of high-quality fragments from the old kiln sites that had a style that was a precursor to the Okawachi period, and it is thought that the foundations of the clan kiln were probably established in terms of both technique and style during this period, and that many of the so-called Ko-Nabeshima-style wares were probably fired here. the clan kilns moved to Okawachi-yama in 1675, and the third and final period of their development began. Under the circumstances described above, they succeeded in producing magnificent polychrome porcelain that was ahead of the Qing dynasty imperial kilns. In the book “A Study of the Nabeshima Clan Kilns”, the transition in style is outlined as follows: the first period of Nabeshima ware, from Iwayagawauchi to the Minamigawara period; the flourishing period of Nabeshima ware, from the Enpo period to the Genroku and Kyoho periods, and then up to around the Kansei period; and the late period of Nabeshima ware, from the Bunka period to the end of the Edo period , but judging from the economic situation of the clan, it seems that the style of the clan kiln’s works declined at an accelerating pace from around the end of the Kyoho era.
Nabeshima As I mentioned at the beginning, the main body of Nabeshima ware was produced under strict control, and the style was also strictly standardized. to the first half of the 18th century, it has a markedly different character compared to other representative polychrome porcelain wares of the same period, such as the Kakiemon, Imari and Ko-Kutani styles. the shapes of the vessels are limited by extremely uniform standards, and are not as free as those of other works. Rather, the attitude of unifying the shapes of the vessels seems to show the pride and individuality of the clan kiln. However, such strict standards are also a factor that causes controversy when we try to appreciate them as individual works and extract their artistic qualities today. The clan kiln has been established, but as individual works they are quite unremarkable. The directives issued by the clan also demanded a high level of technical precision, but they made no demands for works to show any individual creativity. The nature of the clan system in the Edo period can be seen in the management of the clan kilns.
However said, the designs of the works are more diverse than those of any other polychrome porcelain, and as has been generally pointed out, it is a major feature that the designers of the Nabeshima clan kilns attempted to show a purely Japanese style in their designs, even in designs with a Chinese influence, and it is truly interesting. the technical level of their expression is extremely high compared to other colored porcelain. Perhaps they had the most advanced techniques for underglaze blue painting of any kiln in the world, including underglaze line drawing, dark (clear) underglaze painting, and special underglaze techniques such as ink-repelling and lapis lazuli underglaze painting. Therefore, although they have not received much attention in the past, there are many high-quality underglaze blue works. However what represents Nabeshima ware is the so-called colored porcelain, which is overglaze enameling on a blue-and-white background – or, to use an old-fashioned Japanese expression, “sometsuke” – . The white porcelain base is of high quality, so the colors of the overglaze enamels are somewhat pale, and the harmony between the colors is considered with elegance as the top priority. color scheme is one that can be said to be Nabeshima-style at a glance, and is not found in other colored porcelain.
If you include the blue and white porcelain, there are probably around 500 different types of design, but the characteristic of the colored porcelain is that many of them are based on the various picture books, pattern books and pattern books published in Osaka and Tokyo from the Kanbun to the Genroku and Kyoho periods.
