How Was Arita Ware Made?

Arita Ware is one of Japan's major porcelain production areas, with a history of 400 years in the town of Arita in Saga Prefecture, Japan. In the Edo period (1603-1868), when Arita Ware was first produced, both Arita Ware and Imari Ware were exported from the same port in Imari through the East India Company, so both were known as Imari Ware outside Japan.

There is a distinction between Arita Ware and Imari Ware as they are fired today, but the earliest Arita Ware made during the Edo period is sometimes called "Ko-Imari” (old Imari), and the older Arita and Imari are often considered the same thing with different designations.

Since the technology of porcelain manufacturing had not yet been established in Europe in the 17th century, the beautiful white porcelain of Imari/Arita Ware, also known as "white gold," was a work of art that showed the status of the nobility. And they influenced many European porcelain industries, including Meissen.

The porcelain industry in the world originated in China, as the name indicates porcelain itself. In Japan, although the history of earthenware has continued since the Jomon period (14,000-300 BC), the production of porcelain began only 400 years ago.

At the end of the 16th century, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the most powerful feudal lord in Japan at that time, invaded Korea, the lord of the Saga domain, Nabeshima Naoshige, brought back the Korean ceramic master, Yi Sam-Pyeong, to Arita Japan. So the porcelain manufacturing method was introduced to Japan from the Korean Peninsula.

When Lee Sang-Pyong was brought to Arita, he was placed in the care of the Taku family, the elderly members of the Saga domain. He built a kiln in Arita, but was unable to produce the pottery he wanted because different raw materials belongs to the earth had to be used in different formulations. 

Eventually, he went around the Saga Domain property to find a suitable clay materials for white porcelain. Finally, around 1610, Yi Sam-Pyeong found good quality porcelain ore at Izumiyama in Arita.In 1616, he presented porcelain to Lord Nabeshima Naoshige and became the founder of Arita Ware.

In recognition of these achievements, the Taku family admired Yi Sam-Pyeong and wanted him to take the Japanese name of Kanagae Sanbee. (However, all the generations of inheritors of his name use the original name, Yi Sam-Pyeong today.)

After that, Arita Ware became one of the industries that supported the Saga Domain, and through the East India Company, it was exported to the world under the name of Imari Port, and became well known.

At that time, China was still at the forefront of porcelain production, but with the decrease in Jingdezhen porcelain production accompanying the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the eyes of the East India Company which needed porcelain products turned to Arita.

Until the late Edo period (1603-1868), Arita was the only porcelain production center in Japan. However, at the end of the Edo period, the Arita Sarayama area, which was the center of production, was hit by a huge fire that killed many people and destroyed most of the houses.

By the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912), however, Arita had recovered and started producing trade porcelain again by inviting foreign engineers to learn the science of porcelain making and improving the traditional techniques and technology. 

Thereafter, Arita Ware went through a series of declines and revivals due to a number of intricate circumstances among the generations, but these skills will be passed on to the next generation with the will to succeed. in 1977, Arita Ware was recognized as a nationally designated traditional craft.

1. Forming

The porcelain ore and ceramic stone is refined into porcelain clay and formed using a potter's wheel or plaster mold. The porcelain ore used in authentic styles such as early Imari is Izumiyama porcelain ore, but most of the current Arita Ware uses Amakusa pottery stone from Kumamoto Prefecture.

2. Bisque Firing

The dried base is placed in a kiln and fired at a temperature of about 900℃ (1650℉). Bisque firing will prevent damage in the subsequent work.

3. Underglazing

Underglaze work for Sometsuke and other paintings. The underglaze is done with a pigment called “Gosu", which is used to paint items in different shades of blue, from pale blue to dark blue, such as Sometsuke, and to outline colorful styles, such as Kinrande, with blacken Gosu.

4. Glazing

Each Arita Ware kilns apply a uniquely formulated glaze and cover the surface with a smooth, transparent, glassy coating. The underglaze is settled by applying the glaze in this way.

5. High Firing

Firing is done at a high temperature of about 1300℃ (2370℉). Many kilns now use electric kiln, but traditional kilns such as the Yi Sam-Pyeong Kiln sometimes use natural wood-fired kilns. The underglaze work, such as Sometsuke, is completed at this point.

6. Overgrazing

The overglazing process seen in styles such as Kinrande, Kakiemon and Nabeshima is done after high fire. Red, green, yellow, gold, silver and other colors other than Gosu blue are used for the overglaze. There are two types of Arita Ware painting: hand-drawn and stenciled, with the hand-drawn pieces being more valuable as works of art.

7. Final Firing

Firing at 720~830℃ (around 1470℉) to settle the overglaze painting. With this final firing, Arita Ware is complete.

Source: Saga Ceramics Industrial Association