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- The History of Arita Porcelain （English)
Famed throughout the world, Arita porcelain is one of Japan’s representative traditional arts.
It is highly prized both inside and outside of Japan.
What is Arita Porcelain?
Located in western Saga prefecture, Arita is the original home of Japanese porcelain. In the early 17th century, the Korean potter Kanagae Sanbee I (also known as Yi Sam-pyeong) discovered a source of kaolin underneath the Izumiyama mountain in Arita, and began firing the nation’s first porcelain. This became known as Arita porcelain, or Arita-yaki.
From the mid-17th century, the Dutch East India Company exported large quantities of porcelain ware from Arita to buyers throughout the world, mainly in Europe. Solid and durable, Arita porcelain became known for its finely painted, vivid decorations in indigo blue, red, yellow, and gold. Arita’s techniques and traditions have been carried on over over 400 years, and even today it is beloved by pottery fans the world over.
Ko-Imari Style
Its name comes from the port city of Imari, where porcelain was sent out to the world after arriving from Arita. Most of the antique porcelain called “Ko-Imari” indicates that it was produced in Arita from its markings.
Kakiemon Style
and its special balance of artwork displays a high style.
Nabeshima Style
Development
After Arita became the birthplace of Japanese porcelain early in the Edo period, over the course of the Edo period it spread throughout the country and the world by means of trade, becoming a major source of income for the Saga domain. At the end of the Edo period, there was a great fire in the Sarayama area of Arita. The death rate was high, and many lost their homes. But with the coming of modernization, Arita was revitalized, and the region welcomed figures like Wagner and studied the principles of porcelain manufacture, improving on their traditional techniques and once again becoming a center of the international porcelain trade. In the Showa period, massive production scale in the Seto and Mino regions put pressure on the price point of porcelain, and production was temporarily curtailed. But entering the 1960s, there was rapid process in increased production.
Meissen
Meissen is a high-class porcelain ware known throughout the world. It originates in the old town of Meissen, near Dresden in eastern Germany. Meissen has become known throughout the world as the origin of European porcelain ware, becoming synonymous with fine porcelain. Meissen ware continues to be made by hand today in factories outside the town.
