Gallery 2
Rakuzan-yaki pottery was originally developed in Rakuzan, a town located in Eastern Matsue, where the villa of the local daimyo was located. Although the site’s kiln is said to have been built around 1638, it was not until the second lord of the Matsudaira clan arranged for Kurasaki Gombei, a craftsman from the Choshu domain (now Yamaguchi Prefecture) to come and produce pottery in 1677, that this kind of pottery has been referred to as Rakuzan-yaki. Note, yaki refers to burning, or in this case ‘firing’; used with ceramic wares it means ‘style’, in other words - ‘Rakuzan-style pottery’.
Initially passed on, the tradition came to a halt under the fourth generation. However, at the request of Matsudaira Fumai, the seventh lord of the Matsue domain, Nagaoka Sumiemon Sadamasain reopened the kiln in 1801, as the Fifth Generation of potters. At that time though, it specialized solely in tea wares, based on renditions of the Korean wares Fumai was fond of. Later, Nagaoka Kusai, from the second generation of the Nagaoka family, was ordered by the domain to study ceramic colour painting techniques in Nagasaki. From that time, coloured Rakuzan-yaki underwent a great change, and many fine pieces of painted, coloured ceramics were made. Since then the tradition has continued to the current eleventh generation of Rakuzan-yaki, which is the seventh generation of the Nagaoka family potters.
Fujina-yaki and Rakuzan-yaki are collectively known as Izumo-yaki. It is said that the Fujina-yaki process was developed in Fujina, by the head of the Funaki family, and his three sons, around 1750. The Funaki family ran a ‘common kiln’, making quality everyday wares not simply for noble use. With the three brothers each working independently as well, it is said that at their height the family operated nine separate kilns. Moreover, following the closure of the Rakuzan kiln at the fourth generation, in 1777 Tsuchiya Zenshiro Yoshikata, an official Rakuzan-yaki potter, was ordered by the daimyo to relocate to the Fujina area, to open a kiln for the production of official wares.
In this way, Fujina-yaki developed as the result of ‘official’ and ‘common’ kilns producing wares together. The pottery created is characterized by its particular yellow glaze, and a variety of styles, which resemble ceramic wares produced in southern China and Vietnam, as well as those by potters of the Kyoto-style Kyo-yaki, such as Nonomura Ninsei and Ogata Kanzan; while still others resemble Imari or Seto style wares. In the Meiji era (1868-1912), some decorative works were produced for export and the kilns flourished, but many were closed in the subsequent Taisho period (1912-1926). Today there are two kilns, Funaki and Tsuchiya, which continue the tradition.
Kojima Seibei, the son of a Kyoto master lacquer-painter, was summoned to Izumo by Matsudaira Naomasa in 1639 to become the official lacquer-painter for the Matsue domain. Later, the fifth generation laquer-painter of the same family accompanied daimyo lord Matsudaira Fumai to the Tokugawa capital, Edo (now Tokyo), to apprentice under Hara Yoyusai, who was recognized as the best lacquer-painter at the time.
Kojima was later commissioned by Lord Fumai to create his work "Akino" (Autumn Field), a natsume jar (a special container for storing powdered green tea). The lord was so impressed with this masterpiece that he bestowed upon Kojima the name ‘Shikkosai’ – akin to “master of lacquer containers”. Since then, the Kojima family has passed on the name Shikkosai, down to the current seventh generation.
Nurude-an refers to the maki-e (a type of golden lacquer-work) created by two successive generations of craftsman from Matsue. Nurude-an Koei, was originally named Mishimaya Soetsu (1802-1871). At the behest of the ninth generation daimyo lord, Jikishi-an, Mishimaya went to Edo and became the apprentice of maki-e master, Kajikawa. When he returned to the Izumo region, he succeeded in crafting so many of the lord's most favoured items that Jikishi-an gave him the title ‘Nurude-an’, and using the artistic name “Koei”. Mishimaya passed his skills on to his son, originally named Sotaro, or alternatively Ei’ichi, who inherited his father’s title, becoming known as Nurude-an Shunko (1848-1906). Later, he continued to create exquisite golden lacquer-work in Osaka, working under an abbreviation of the hereditary title, pronounced ‘Katsuki’.