[Sometsuke]
Blue and white porcelain. On the surface of biscuit firing pottery, designs are painted with cobalt oxide paint.
Arita ware is the first Sometsuke ceramic in Japan. The Nabeshima kiln made superior sometsuke.
Xiang-Rui is one style of sometsuke made in China around 1628 to 1644. Xiang-Rui style has various geometric patterns drawn with bliliant blue color.
[Touzan WADA]
A potter, opened own pottery studio in 1901. The name “Touzan Wada” has been handed over through each generations.
- The Originator: Masakata Kujurou Wada (1858-1912)
While he worked in Hyougo prefecture government office, he tried to establish a pottery school in Awaji but never came true. After his retirement from Hyougo prefecture government office, he opened his pottery studio in Nakamura, Hyougo.
The First Generation: Touzan Wada (1887-1967)
The second son of the originator Masakata Kujurou. His real name was Masae. He built a Rakuyaki pottery studio in Amagasaki-City and named it as “Kotouragama” in 1910. He built a new ascending kiln which contained of 5 connected rooms, and made Sencha tea ware, white porcelains and so on.
The Second Generation(1897-1977)
The third son of the originator Masakata Kujurou. He was adopted by the Meiwa family in Mikage, Kobe, but he succeeded the name Wada Douzan after death of the first generation.
The Third Generation (1917-1994)
He was adopted by the oldest daughter of the first generation, his real name was Haruo. He learned Japanese painting under Touri Ushio and pottery under the first generation. After the death of the second generation, he succeeded the third generation of Touzan Wada.
The Fourth Generation (1897-1977)
The oldest son of the third generation. His real name was Masaaki. He also learned Japanese painting under Touri Ushio, and pottery under the second and the third. He won the prizes at both Japan Pottery Exhibition and Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition. In1990, he became a official member of Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition.
Succeeded the third generation in 1992. Scarlet-colored Yakishime ( pottery fired at a high temperature (1100℃～1300℃) without glaze ) is his characteristic style of pottery.