KUTANI WARE

Around 1655, Toshiharu Maeda, the first lord of the Daishoji clan, founded a kiln in Kutani Village. This is said to be the origin of Kutani-ware. The ceramics produced during this period, called "Ko-kutani" (old Kutani), are highly valued as outstanding overglaze porcelain.

After the Meiji Restration, the kilns lost the support of the clan. Craftsmen of the former Daishoji clan endeavored to improve their skills as artists, and among these, skilled craftsmen auch as Ginshu Takenouchi, Ichigo Asai and Seika Suda emerged. Meanwhile, artisans of the Kaga clan found a new way to survive in the export industry; Kutani Shoza and other craftsmen exported gold-painted colorful porcelain called "Japan Kutani" to the West. 

Kutani-ware came to be known as a fine traditional art. Since the late Showa period, it has been recognized as going beyond the framework of craft, and some of the industry's craftsmen have been designated as living national treasures. Many new designs have been created in keeping with changes in lifestyle; these are characteristic of modern Kutani-ware.