[Kutani ware]
Kutani ware is a Japanese porcelain with overglaze painting, made in the southern cities of Kanazawa, Komatsu, Kaga, and Nomi in Ishikawa Prefecture. The first Kutani ware was produced in 1655 by order of Maeda Toshiharu, who governed this region in the mid-17th century.
This gorgeous porcelain is decorated with various styles of overglaze painting called ao-e, gosaide(5 colors paint), kinrande and so on.
[Ryuzan AOKI] (1926-2008)
A Japanese potter. Born in Arita-cho, Saga Prefecture.
After leaving the Japanese Painting Course of the Tama Art University, Ryazan worked as an art teacher at a High-School in Yokohama, then returned to Arita to start producing ceramics in 1953. In 1954, he was awarded his first prize at the 10th Nitten Exhibition for his work “Kamon Sometsuke Ozara". Ryuzan is one of the best modern Arita ware potters and he is known for the series of works called “kurotenmoku" covered with a deep-black Tenmoku glaze with modern patterns painted with magnetite sand, jade stone and powdered silver. He received the Order of Culture in 2005.
Died in 2008, at the age of 81.