A small kiln is a continuous climbing kiln as opposed to a large kiln (cellar kiln).
In the “Diary of Morita Kyuemon,” an account of an inspection of the Seto region includes the words, “Hizen ware small kogama objects. The small kiln is a continuous climbing kiln introduced from Hizen Karatsu in the Owari and Mino areas (Aichi and Gifu prefectures) at the end of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
However, the “large” in “large kiln” does not mean “large” or “small,” but rather “old,” “main,” or “origin. It is said that Kage-nobu Kato of the Kusjiri kiln in Mino (Gifu Prefecture) was the first to introduce this kiln style from Karatsu. Later, when the Hizen-Arita style round kiln was imported and the use of stained porcelain began, the term “kogama” came to be applied to small kilns. Kogama spread throughout Japan, and in recent years, there is usually at least one or several kogama in major potteries in Japan. Kogama are mainly suitable for firing small and thin wares, but not for firing large wares.
