“Kinzan Kiln” Shining In An Era of Change【Article 1】

Tradition and Challenge. Where We Are Today.

Kinzan Kiln has specialized in the Kutani ware overglaze for more than a century. It is characterized by a method that combines overpainting with Western paints and gold painting called saishoku kinrante. Its delicate and vivid painting style gives Kutani ware a distinct presence among traditional Japanese crafts.
We interviewed Yukio Yoshida, the fourth-generation owner of Kinzan Kiln, who while continuing to inherit tradition, challenges new possibilities, about the present and future of Kutani ware.

To Begin With, What Is Kutani Ware?

Designated as the Ishikawa Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property, the birthplace of Kutani ware is Kutani Village, Enuma District, Kaga Province, which corresponds to the current day Kutani Village, Yamanaka Town, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. However, the kiln was suddenly closed around the year 1730. There are various theories as to how and why the kiln was closed, and although studies have been conducted, the reason is still unclear. Kutani ware produced during this period before the closedown are called “Old-Kutani” (Ko Kutani) to distinguish from the current Kutani ware.

Approximately 80 years later, a growing movement began to revive Kutani ware in Kaga. The history of Kaga Kutani began in 1807 when Aoki Mokubei, a literati potter, was invited from Kyoto and built the Kasugayama Kiln at Mt. Utatsu in Kanazawa. Soon after, Hanasaka pottery stone, which is similar to the raw material used in Old Kutani was excavated in the Hanasaka Village, Nomi District, and the Wakasugi Kiln was opened nearby. Since then, new kilns have opened one after another in various places. Pieces created from this era are known as “Revived Kutani” (Saiko Kutani) and while based on traditional techniques, incorporated a new style of work with originality and ingenuity. In the Meiji period (1868-1912), Kutani Shozo who had studied iroe (color painting) and akae (red detailed painting) introduced Western-style paints to the craft and established the akae-kinrante technique in which overglaze painting was done using gold. This style of Kutani ware was popularized internationally at the Vienna World's Fair in 1873 as “Japan Kutani”, and took the world by storm. The bright and vivid colors and abundant decorative details can be said to characterize the allure of Kutani Ware. The variety of expressions, which vary from artist to artist and kiln to kiln, and the splendor of the delicate and intricate, yet boldly colored decorations, can be said to be the hallmark of Japanese traditional crafts.

The intricate works of the artisan painters leaves one breathless.

The color palette used for Kinzan Kiln works.

These can be said to be one of the most modern Kutani ware pieces today.

The workshop is divided into the artist's workplace and the craftsman's workplace.

Tracing The Lineage of Kinzan Gama

Kinzangama is a kiln located in Takandoumachi, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture that specializes in overglazing Kutani ware. The roots of the first generation Shosaku Yoshida can be traced to Isoemon Kosaka, who studied under Isaburo Saita of the Sano Kiln, who contributed to the development of akae-kinrante, and honed his skills as a pottery artist for Shozo Kutani. Eisuke Tanaka, a descendant of this lineage and Shosaku's direct master, started his independent practice during the Meiji period at the peak of Kutani ware productivity. He employed many apprentices and craftsmen greatly expanding the pottery painting business. After studying pottery under Eisuke, Shosaku learned the kinfuri technique of sprinkling gold powder during the painting phase in Kanazawa. As a painter who excelled in working with gold, he established the Kinzan Kiln in 1906 in the present-day Takado-cho area. His versatile technique of applying gold onto detailed color painting later came to be known as Takado Etsuke (Takado painting). In 1933, Shosaku's youngest brother, Seiichi, became the second-generation successor of the Kinzan Kiln at the age of 28. He established new design techniques such as the kinsai sai byouga (gold-glazed detailed drawing) that incorporates the motifs of flowers, birds, wind, and moon, or the aode kutani technique which he developed during war when gold was rationed and not readily available for purchase. Seiichi has since won awards at various arts and crafts exhibitions.

Seiichi passed away at the young age of 36, and in place Minori Yoshida has inherited the role as the third-generation successor of Kinzan Kiln. In the 1960’s Minori studied design. In the 1970’snin addition to his own artistic activities, together with artistic peers of his generation he established the Asahi Gama (Asahi Kiln), a co-operated kiln in hopes to further commercialize handmade products. In terms of the manufacturing process, he also actively incorporated new technologies such as installing the first electrical kiln ever used for Kutani ware. There on after, Minori established the yuuri kinsai glaze style, which depicts figurative motifs such as flowers and butterflies, and was recognized as a grantee of the nationally designated Important Intangible Cultural Property, thus deemed a Living National Treasure. To this day, Minori is still active as an artist.

Today, the tradition of this craft as well as the attitude of innovation has been passed down to the fourth-generation successor, Yukio Yoshida who continues to push the boundaries of further expanding this artform. Yukio has developed a signature characteristics that encompasses the beauty of watercolor-like three-dimensional colors and the glamour of modern usage of gold, exploring the possibilities of saishoku kinrante (gold brocade). Although today’s Kutani ware is diverse in its techniques and designs, it can be said that Kinzan Kiln is a lineage that traces back to the origins of Komatsu Kutani.

Kutani ware before painting, called shiro kiji (white canvas).

The workspace of the third generation, Minori Yoshida.

Well worn-in tools of the trade are lined up.

Camellia leaves used to transfer the underpainting. Camellias are always planted at kilns in Kutani.

The gold used at Kinzan Kiln, is not only brilliant, but also deep.

The thickness of the gold leaf is varied to portray the richness of nature.

Many of these tools were developed themselves.

Tradition spun by innovation

At Kinzan Kiln, 92-year-old Minori, the fourth generation Yukio, his wife Rumiko, eldest daughter Mifuyu, and eldest son Taro are current artists exhibiting their works. However, their styles are all unique to the artist and differ greatly from one other. We interviewed Mr. Yukio about the current state of Kinzan Kiln.

“Currently, the works of Kinzan Kiln can be broadly divided into two categories. The works of individual artists, and the works that represent our kiln as a whole. The first category is an independent internal creative process of the artists, and the latter is a collective effort including discussing various issues and creating a piece together that is suitable for the times.

Currently, all of my family members are active artists of our kiln, but my eldest daughter had also worked in Tokyo previously, and when I was young, I too was not particularly intended in following the family footsteps. However, watching up close the process of Kutani ware being created made me want to try my hand at it. And sometimes, working in a different field may help you notice merits of Kutani ware industry and attract you to it. Or it may even inspire you to create something that is different. We all mutually influence one another, accepting and or rejecting those influences while pursuing and producing our own individual works.

When we use the term “traditional crafts” it may seem like an endless repetition of the same thing, but in fact, it is a history created by the incremental accumulation of fine and detailed adjustments, evolution and changes. It is constantly transforming, from inventing new tools for improving reproducibility, to incorporating new technologies to improve efficiency to name a few. I feel that by adapting to the changes of the times and the evolution of technology, you actually begin to see the elements that never change, should never change and will always remain the same. Now that I am over 60, I wonder if I am needed by society (laughs). However, there are still new challenge in my industry that I would like to take on. Both as an individual artist, and as Kinzan Kiln, I am excited for what lies ahead.”