![]() In Europe, the situation is markedly different. In the US, you are much luckier, because the Japanese community is larger, the trade agreements are better, and you can easily find specialty shops offering different types of tableware. Where to find it at good prices depends on where you live. Kutani ware is not nearly as popular outside of Japan as some other types of Japanese ceramics. Where to find Kutani ware outside of Japan: In the meantime, I use my favorite Kutani ware pieces with pleasure, reminding myself that beauty and color brighten up the darkest of days. Nevertheless, I hope that in the new year, such projects will become possible. Nor could I return to Ukraine to visit Opishnya again. Something about Kutani’s hues and forms stirred up the childhood memory of making my own ceramic bowl. I started buying my Kutani pieces while still in Japan, and right on the eve of the pandemic, I was planning a trip to research this fascinating ceramic style further and visit the ateliers whose works I admired. It’s as if I’m caressing the flower petals. They boost my spirits with their delicate patterns and smooth textures. The colors are soft and gentle–peach, pink, lavender, pistachio, turquoise.Ītelier Yu is produced by a team of female artisans, and their aster-ornamented plates, tea cups, and bowls are among the pieces I use every day. Their pieces are painted by hand in modern whimsical styles that hold onto the classical Kutani vibrancy. Their patterns are transfer printed onto the porcelain, finished by hand, then glazed and fired again.Īnother kiln I like is Ginshu. One such example is Seikou kiln, which produces tableware for everyday use. Some Kutani kilns experiment with modern techniques such as silk printing to transfer designs onto porcelain, which means that the prices can still be affordable, while the hand-crafted aspect is retained. Competition from mass produced ceramics means that kilns are struggling to survive. Like many artisans around the world, Kutani artists are likewise experiencing flagging demand and raw material price pressures. I like that I don’t have to buy matching pieces or full sets, and my table still looks harmonious. When I make my morning tea in a cup decorated with pink blossoms or serve rice in a bowl painted with yellow asters, I feel that my day is off to a good start. Looking at the bowls decorated with song birds and blooming branches, flower buds, or intertwining reeds, I can’t help but smile. ![]() The crane is a symbol of longevity and happy marriage. Gourds represent protection and prosperity. Some Kutani pieces combine ume and chrysanthemum in a graceful interplay to represent winter and autumn respectively. Ume, plum blossoms that bloom in winter, are admired for their fortitude and are considered a lucky charm. What’s more, each Kutani piece contains a world of symbols. ![]() Not only do the cups or plates look beautiful, they make the food even more appetizing. Gosaide, for instance, includes green, blue, yellow, red, and black. “Aote” (using blue background) and “Gosaide” (using vivid colors) are particularly lively and brilliant. Traditionally, Kutani techniques are classified into several types. Some artists say that the long winters in the region made people long for light and color, and they captured this desire in their pottery. Different forms of Kutani exist, but they are all vibrant and joyous. Kutani ware is a style of Japanese porcelain originating from the southwestern Ishikawa prefecture. During one such trip, I discovered the colorful charm of Kutani ware. One could travel from the north of the country to the south and discover ceramics studios in every region, each showcasing a specific style of pottery. In Japan, the ceramic arts have a strong reputation and many different styles of pottery and porcelain exist, from the natural-looking Bizen ware to the ornate Imari ware. I rekindled my passion for ceramics while working and traveling in Asia. However, that experience made me fascinated with ceramics and the way rough soil can assume the most exquisite of forms. My memories of that visit are fragmentary, but I recall the softness of the clay, the brilliance of the green glaze, and a slight disappointment that my pot didn’t come out as symmetrical as I thought it should have been. My great-grandmother Asya visited the town every summer to select new dishes and pots and she must have taken me along. My mother’s family comes from Poltava, the central region of Ukraine famous for its arts and crafts, and ceramics in the town of Opishnya have a long tradition. The first time I made my own clay pot, I must have been six or seven years old.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |