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Native to the Kaga region (Ishikawa Prefecture), Kutani-ware is a traditional pottery style best known for its colorful designs. This in-demand pottery style is made using highly skilled painting techniques that result in eye-catching pieces for your home, restaurant, or office.
What is Kutani-ware?
Kutani-ware’s unique aesthetic, or “Kutani Gosai”, is based on the gorgeous contrast of five base colors: green, yellow, red, purple, and navy. These five colors are used to create intricate designs with fine detail and elegance. The firing technique, which involves painting the designs as an overglaze and using low temperatures, results in a beautiful display of the fine craftsmanship that goes into every Kutani-ware piece.
The unique style emerged during the early Edo period (1603-1868) in the small village of Kutani, where a kiln was built that would make Kutani-ware for years to come. Fifty years later, the kiln had to be shut down for reasons unknown, resulting in a 100-year hiatus for Kutani-ware production. The Kutani-ware made during the first 50 years prior to the hiatus is known as Ko-Kutani, or “old Kutani” and has its own unique style. The new generation of Kutani-ware, produced once the Kaga region re-opened the kilns for production, is known as “Saiko Kutani”. During this time, many new kilns emerged, each with its own signatures.
Some of the signature Kutani-ware styles that continue to be produced include Hanazume, Kinsai, Ginsai, Akae, Aochibu/Shirochibu, Yoshidaya, Ko-Kutani, and Sometsuke. Hanazume involves painting intricate flower designs throughout different layers of glaze and several rounds of firing. Kinsai is a delicate gold detailing technique where gold leaf is used to create designs under a clear glaze, while Ginsai does the same but with silver leaf. Akae, literally translated as “fine painting in red” in Japanese, involved several layers of finely detailed designs using red paint, creating visually pleasing effects.
Aochibu/Shirochibu is a highly skillful style that creates incredible visual effects through the use of uniform dots over a base color. Yoshidaya style, pioneered by Yoshidaya Denemon in 1824, is one of the most popular Kutani styles, using four base colors (green, navy, purple, and yellow) to create stunning detailed designs that are easily recognized by their trademark color scheme. Finally, Sometsuke is a classic Kutani-ware style that uses layers of indigo blue paint to create classic, yet striking designs on a white base.
Kutani-ware Teapots
Teapots are one of the most widely produced Kutani-ware products, especially because of the luxury and opulence that they bring to any tea ceremony. The intricate and colorful designs quickly turn the teapot into an artistic centerpiece for any table.
Floral Sakura Arabesque Japanese Tea Pot
This Sakura teapot is more like a work of art than a teapot. Made by traditional craftsman Tsumura Tamura, this teapot is a fusion of Kutani yaki and Tokoname yaki, another traditional Japanese pottery style. The unique handle and spout design allow you to easily pour tea for your guests. With a fancy presentation box, this teapot is the perfect gift for any tea lover!
Chakkiri kyusu emerald
Another gorgeous fusion of Tokoname-yaki and Kutani-ware, this is the perfect teapot to gift to your loved one. Crafted with black mud and painted in true Shirochibu style, using uniform blue dots over a black base, this fusion of techniques results in an aesthetically pleasing design.
Kutani-ware vases
Vases are another popular canvas for Kutani-ware craftsmen to display their skills. While Western vases are typically used specifically for flowers, Kutani-ware vases are beautiful enough to display in the home, even when they are not being used. Below are some of our favorites.
360-Year Kutani Flower Vase (Wooden Box and Tag Incl.)
This Kutani-ware vase was created as a celebration of Kutani’s 360-year anniversary of making traditional pottery crafts. Painted on the vase is a beautiful scene depicting the natural elements found in the village where the craft originated, finished with a matte glaze. This vase also comes with a beautiful wooden box and tag, perfect for gifting!
Flower Vase Plant Stand Wood Boxed
This colorful vase is a gorgeous display of the classic five-color Kutani-ware aesthetic. Taking inspiration from natural elements, the design reflects a scene in the wilderness—perfect for inviting serenity into the home. Decorate your home or business with this vase, or give it as a gift in the elegant wooden presentation box it comes in.
Size 14 Kutani Flower Vase
This tall, size 14 vase is adorned with intricate designs, including an upper rim and base with gold leaf detailing over a reddish brown base. The main painting on the vase displays the seven Japanese deities of good luck. With a beautiful wooden case, gift this to your friends for their birthday, graduation, or housewarming!
Kutani-ware Tea Set
Tea sets continue to be one of the most popular types of Kutani-ware, adding luxury and style to any dinner party, business meeting, or restaurant. There are many ways to incorporate the different Kutani styles into a tea set. Here are some of our favorites.
Kutani-ware Tea Set With Lids
This bright and colorful tea set is a fusion of several different Kutani-ware styles, such as Shirochibu and Yoshidaya forms. The unique handle on the teapot allows for easy use while the cute little lids on the cups keep your tea warm. This ceramic set is a must-have for elegant dinner parties and upscale businesses.
With Lid Tea Utensils Flower
Using traditional Hanazume techniques, this tea set is the perfect Kutani-ware to add to your collection. The layered floral designs with gold detailing create a shimmering finish that evokes images of nature in the spring. Enjoy this tea set or give it as a gift for your friends to enjoy!
Kutani porcelain Figurines
Porcelain figurines have been a popular choice for home and garden decor for centuries in Japan. Over the years, Kutani has produced some gorgeous and unique porcelain figurines perfect for adding some artistic character, protection, or good fortune to any business or home.
Kutani-ware Lucky Lion Figurine
Kutani-ware lion figurines have been long used as a token for protection or to ward off evil spirits. This figurine has all of the classic Kutani features—a five-color design, intricate floral detail, and multiple layers of colored glaze that create depth.
Kutani-ware Colorful Owl Figurine
Owls, also referred to as Fukurairou（福来朗）, is considered an auspicious figurine, thought to help overcome hardship. The gorgeous combination of colors and gold leaf detail produces a pleasant and friendly-looking porcelain owl to place in your home or workplace.
Kutani-ware Plates
Kutani-ware plates are the perfect way to add some luxury and class to a restaurant or special holiday dinner. The artistic designs add an element of elegance to any dinner table or china cabinet. Serve these gorgeous plates at dinner or give them as a gift.
5-Piece Sakura Kutani-ware Plate Set
These Kutani plates have an incredible level of intricacy and detail in their designs. The golden yellow backdrop provides the perfect contrast for the turquoise branches of a sakura tree, on which a bluebird rests. Black borders are accented with a floral gold leaf design for additional flare. Made in Japan, these plates come in an impressive presentation box perfect for gift-giving.
Large Floral Kutani-ware Serving Dish
This serving dish is adorned with a marvelous floral design that displays flowers of varying shapes and colors. Use this gorgeous piece of Kutani-ware at home or at work to impress clients and add that extra touch.
In Conclusion
There are countless variations and styles of Kutani-ware on the market today, showing off the preservation of this traditional Japanese pottery craft. Super Delivery has one of the largest online marketplaces for authentic Japanese products for wholesalers.
At Super Delivery, you can find hundreds of Kutani-ware products, as well as other Japanese ceramics at the lowest wholesale prices with competitive shipping options.
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