Mikawachi Yaki

Blue on thin white porcelain

Mikawachi Yaki is white porcelain painted in gosu blue. Since the kiln opened it made many gifts for the imperial court and the shogun, so even everyday pieces have always been luxury work, known for delicate, precise detail. It is made in Sasebo in Nagasaki, as incense burners, sake and tea ware, vases and fine restaurant tableware.

Amakusa stone, two firings

Mikawachi uses porcelain stone from Amakusa. Pieces are thrown, hand-built, pressed or slip-cast, then trimmed and bisque-fired at about 900°C. They are painted in gosu, glazed and fired at 1,300°C.

The Hirado lords' kiln

In the late 16th century, a local ruler who joined Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea brought back Korean potters and had them fire a kiln. Until the Meiji Restoration it flourished as the official kiln of the Hirado domain. During this time Amakusa porcelain stone was found, and the techniques leapt forward. In the 17th century, thin porcelain coffee cups were exported from Hirado to the Netherlands and China.