The history of Kutani ware goes back to the beginning of the Edo period (1655). It is said that Kutani began when Maeda Toshiharu, the first lord of the Daishouji feudal clan (a feudal branch of Kaga) discovered magnetite in a gold mine located in the Kutani territory, which he owned. Following this discovery he built a Kiln there.

The kiln in Kutani was suddenly shut down about 1730, and the reason is still not clear. The pottery made during this period (1655 - 1730) was later given the name of Kokutani and it is highly valued as being representative of Japanese painted porcelain.

It is said of Kutani ware that, 'It cannot exist without its images'.

Kutani developed from Kokutani (old Kutani), which differed from other works with its use of powerful, bold, and magnificent designs using five main colours: green, yellow, red, purple and deep blue. There are various styles. The Mokubei style has a hint of Chinese influence, Yoshidaya is famous as the blue Kutani style, Iidaya is known for its detailed red pictures, Eiraku has pictures of gold with other gorgeous colours, and Shoza features gold colouring on red-based pictures. These are each complete styles in their own right, and have expanded the world of Kutani ware greatly.

In the Meiji era (1868), a large amount of Kutani ware was exported to foreign countries. Today, Kutani ware continues to be actively produced in both Japanese and Western styles, using designs based on the original products as they developed through the ages. We hope that through purchasing Kutani ware you will experience traditional Japanese culture.

Attention

Please be aware that some size variations or differences in colour are possible due to the manual firing process.
The delivery charge is greater for some products because of the need for special damage prevention measures.

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