[Sanzaemon KANETA] 1920-2004
A Hagi ware potter. The 7th generation master of Tencho kiln established in 1830 located in Hagi city, Yamaguchi prefecture.
Sanzaemon was born as Sadamu in 1920, then learned Hagi ware methods under his uncle, Tokuzo Kaneda who was the 5th generation master of Tencho kiln, and Reishu Yamaguchi. Sanzaemon named himself Tenryu until his succession.
He had won several prizes at the Japan Traditional Crafts Art Exhibition and other exhibitions, and received the Hagi City Cultural Prize, Encouragement Award in 1983, the Yamaguchi Prefecture Educational Prize, Distinguished Services Award in 1989 and Cultural Order Award of Traditional Crafts in 2002.
Died in December 2004.
[Hagi ware]
One of the most famous Japanese ceramics produced in Yamaguchi prefecture, that is also called as "Korai ware".
In 1604, the Korean potter brothers, Li Shakuko and Li Kei, were invited to Hagi domain (present Yamagichi) by the feudal load Terumoto MORI. Under the patronage of Mori Terumoto, they established the kiln and produced ceramic which became the origin of Hagiware.
Hagi ware has humble forms and it has firing-denatured patterns/colors. Because it has tiny cracklings on surface , the color of Hagi ware gradually changes as water percolates from inside to outside through cracklings. This unique phenomenon is called "7 changes of Hagi ware".
From ancient times, Hagi ware has been admired by tea masters. There is a saying among them; " Ichi Raku, Ni Hagi, San Karatsu" which means "First-Raku, Second-Hagi, Third-Karatsu".