Seto Sometsuke Yaki

Painted in shades of blue

In Japan, setomono, things from Seto, is almost another word for ceramics. Seto Sometsuke Yaki is the town's blue-and-white porcelain. Painters brush fine pictures of birds, flowers, insects and landscapes straight onto the bisque in gosu blue, and a special firing gives the pictures a soft, moist look. It is made in Seto and Owariasahi in Aichi, as tableware, tea and ikebana ware and interior pieces.

Painted before the glaze

Pieces are shaped on the wheel, in moulds or by hand. After a low bisque firing, the design is painted directly on the surface (underglaze painting), then glazed and fired at high heat.

From Kyushu skills to Art Nouveau

In the early 19th century, a local man brought porcelain firing skills home from Kyushu, while painting masters taught a soft, Chinese-style brushwork. The two grew together and the technique was established by the mid-19th century. Painters went on to create Seto's own style, sketching the nature around them. In the Meiji period, Seto made big pieces too, such as vases, lanterns and tables. In the early 20th century, its work won praise at world expos in Vienna and Paris and influenced European ceramics and Art Nouveau.