DOI Heft:
Nr. 210 (September 1910)
DOI Artikel:Shugio, H.: Japanese art and artists of to-day, [2]: Ceramic Artists
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20970#0310
Japanese Art and Artists of To-day.—II. Ceramic Artists
JAPANESE ART AND ARTISTS
OF TO-DAY. —II. CERAMIC
ARTISTS. BY H SHUGIO.
Japan is as full of potters now as it has been since
the very early days, and we have more pottery
kilns in Japan to-day than we ever had before the
restoration, owing to the increased demands both
at home and abroad. Of course, the present larger
production of pottery in Japan has given us
some wares which we do not admire at all, but
there are many potters now among us whose works
are as artistic as those of the best potters of the
good old days, when we were enjoying the quiet
and peaceful national existence, without any inter-
national disturbances.
We hear now and then some complaints about
our modern ceramic productions, but if we care-
fully study and look into the present condition of
our ceramic art, we may realize the fact that the
average is not at all inferior to that of any period,
and there are many potters now who are just as
good as any older ceramic artists. We may not
hope to have a Kakiyemon, a Ninsei or Ridzen
with us, but we have great potters such as Kozan,
Seifu and Kato, whose works are very artistic and
skilful.
Miyagawa Kozan, of the famous Makudsu kiln
at Ota, Yokohama, is the ninth of the famous
Makudsu potters, and undoubtedly he is the
greatest living ceramic artist we have to-day in
Japan. He is now an old man of three score and
ten, but he is still active and turns out many
beautiful pieces of porcelain and pottery. He has
been very successful in reproducing many old
Chinese glazes, and some of his copies of old
Chinese porcelain are wonderful. They would
pass for the genuine old Chinese if they were not
marked with his own name. He is one of the
Imperial Court artists, and he was honoured by
our Emperor with the decoration of green ribbon
some years ago. He is personally a charming man,
and is exceedingly artistic in his taste and very
refined in his art. His son, Hanzan, also a very
good potter, has brought over a few of his father’s
pieces to the Japan-British Exhibition, and some
of them are displayed in the Fine Art Palace
and others in the industrial section. Out of many
of Kozan’s pieces a few have been selected for
illustration here, and I am sure they will more
286
WORKING STUDIO OF YABU MEIZAN, OSAKA
JAPANESE ART AND ARTISTS
OF TO-DAY. —II. CERAMIC
ARTISTS. BY H SHUGIO.
Japan is as full of potters now as it has been since
the very early days, and we have more pottery
kilns in Japan to-day than we ever had before the
restoration, owing to the increased demands both
at home and abroad. Of course, the present larger
production of pottery in Japan has given us
some wares which we do not admire at all, but
there are many potters now among us whose works
are as artistic as those of the best potters of the
good old days, when we were enjoying the quiet
and peaceful national existence, without any inter-
national disturbances.
We hear now and then some complaints about
our modern ceramic productions, but if we care-
fully study and look into the present condition of
our ceramic art, we may realize the fact that the
average is not at all inferior to that of any period,
and there are many potters now who are just as
good as any older ceramic artists. We may not
hope to have a Kakiyemon, a Ninsei or Ridzen
with us, but we have great potters such as Kozan,
Seifu and Kato, whose works are very artistic and
skilful.
Miyagawa Kozan, of the famous Makudsu kiln
at Ota, Yokohama, is the ninth of the famous
Makudsu potters, and undoubtedly he is the
greatest living ceramic artist we have to-day in
Japan. He is now an old man of three score and
ten, but he is still active and turns out many
beautiful pieces of porcelain and pottery. He has
been very successful in reproducing many old
Chinese glazes, and some of his copies of old
Chinese porcelain are wonderful. They would
pass for the genuine old Chinese if they were not
marked with his own name. He is one of the
Imperial Court artists, and he was honoured by
our Emperor with the decoration of green ribbon
some years ago. He is personally a charming man,
and is exceedingly artistic in his taste and very
refined in his art. His son, Hanzan, also a very
good potter, has brought over a few of his father’s
pieces to the Japan-British Exhibition, and some
of them are displayed in the Fine Art Palace
and others in the industrial section. Out of many
of Kozan’s pieces a few have been selected for
illustration here, and I am sure they will more
286
WORKING STUDIO OF YABU MEIZAN, OSAKA