Traditional craft
Owari Shippo
尾張七宝
Cloisonne vases, plates and boxes from around Nagoya, where coloured glass glazes are fired between fine silver wires on a metal base.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 5 April 1995
- Type
- Other crafts
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 尾張七宝
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 名古屋市、あま市、清須市
Glass on metal
Shippo looks like porcelain but is metal underneath: a copper or silver base coated with glassy glazes and fired, then decorated with flowers, birds and landscapes. Its name compares its beauty to the seven treasures of Buddhist scripture. In wired shippo, fine silver wire is set along the outlines so the colours stay separate and clear. Products include vases, incense burners, framed pieces, plates and jewellery boxes. It is made in Nagoya, Ama and Kiyosu in Aichi.
Wire, glaze, fire
- A design is drawn up and the metal base is formed.
- The underdrawing is put on the base.
- Silver, brass or copper wire is set along the outlines.
- Coloured glazes fill the spaces between the wires.
- The piece is fired. Every step is done by hand.
A sake cup from 1833
Owari shippo began in the late Edo period with Kaji Tsunekichi of Owari, the area around today's Nagoya, who worked out its techniques. The oldest confirmed piece is a cloisonne sake cup he made in 1833.
Good to know
- Run a finger over a piece: the glass surface is smooth even where wires divide the colours.
- Visit a shippo shop in Nagoya to see modern accessories alongside classic vases.
Questions travellers ask
Is shippo pottery?
No; it is glassy glaze fired on a metal base, closer to enamel.
What does shippo mean?
Seven treasures, from the treasures listed in Buddhist scripture.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.