Art Creation Theory 8 "On Nara Pottery"

Akahada ware is the most representative pottery (ceramics) of Nara. There are other wonderful works such as Yagyu ware, but there are currently seven kilns producing Akahada ware, each of which has a certain unique character.
Nara can be said to be a region where elegant pottery developed around Gojoyama, located on the western outskirts of Nara. It also has deep ties to the tea ceremony, and is counted among the "Seven Enshu Kilns" said to have been founded by Kobori Enshu. The hills from Gojoyama to the Nishinokyo area are adjacent to the Sugawara region. Sugawara was the home base of the Haji clan, who played a leading role in the production of earthenware and roof tiles in ancient times. In other words, it was a place that produced high-quality clay and where the pottery industry developed from an early stage. The tradition of pottery, supported by such locational conditions, has been carried on into the Middle Ages.
During the Kamakura period, "hibachi earthenware" was produced in Konan-sho, Yamato Province (present-day Nishinokyo and the surrounding area). Then, during the Muromachi period, various vassals, such as the pottery guild, tile guild, and hibachi guild, were formed, each with Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara as their headquarters. The pottery products of these guilds did not simply satisfy the demand of the shrines and temples of Nara and private citizens, but were also sold as far as Kyoto and Kyoto, and were regarded as major handicrafts representative of Nara at the time. Furthermore, as the tea ceremony became popular, the earthen baths made in Nishinokyo, Nara, gradually became famous, taking on the name "Nara bath," and came to be widely used among tea masters. The Nishimura Zengoro family, renowned as a master earthen bath master, is a notable example of this.
The Eiraku Zengoro family used the surname Nishimura until the end of the Edo period, and until the eleventh generation, Hozen, made their living by making earthen baths. The first Zengoro lived in Saikyo and was a potter who provided offerings to Kasuga Shrine. The Zengoro family is thought to be related to the lineage of the pottery and hibachi za (brass makers) in the Middle Ages. Nara has been the core of pottery production since ancient times, with its abundant and high-quality clay production, and in the Middle Ages, it produced hibachi as its main product. From the end of the Muromachi period to the beginning of the early modern period, it gained a high reputation as an excellent producer of "Nara baths". However, after the second generation of the Nishimura Zengoro family moved from Nishinokyo to Sakai, the actual situation of pottery production in this area is unclear. It is said that the Nishimura Zengoro family moved from Sakai to Kyoto in the third generation.
The establishment of Akahada ware, which represented pottery from Yamato Province during the Edo period, was likely born out of these locational conditions and the inheritance of the tradition of pottery production based on them. However, while many examples of Akahada ware from the Edo period are known, it is not necessarily clear when it first began to be made, that is, when the kiln was first opened. Although various theories have been put forward regarding the time of the opening of these kilns, the establishment of the name Akahada ware, and the actual state of the pottery industry, none have been conclusively determined, and many unknown issues remain.

The revival of Akahada ware is usually placed in the year 8 of the Kansei era, but it is incorrect to say that it suddenly began in that year, or that it was only carried out at Akahadayama. It would be more appropriate to assume that pottery production was already taking place in nearby areas. This is because there are a few remains that date to before the Kansei era, including a pottery piece shaped like the Todaiji Oil Pot, which bears the inscription "Made in the Horeki era." In any case, it is certain that Akahada ware began to flourish during the Kansei era.
Originally, research into Akahada ware focused on its relationship with Yanagisawa Yasumitsu (Shuzan), the lord of Koriyama Domain, or on the ceramic works of Okuda Mokuhaku, known as the founder of its revival. These have produced many results to date, and at the same time have led to a wide variety of interpretations. Such observations from an art historical perspective have inevitably focused only on the works themselves, and it cannot be denied that they have had to be conducted by a small number of enthusiasts.
Akahada ware, which developed in the hills of Gojoyama in the western suburbs of southern Nara, is Yamato's elegant pottery. The origins of Akahada ware in this region can be traced back to the establishment of the Saikyo pottery za of the medieval Kasugasha Kofukuji Temple, which developed in the Saikyo area adjacent to Gojoyama. Saikyo is the area south of Ukyo Nijo-oji Street to Kujo, and covers the area from Bo 1 to Bo 4. The pottery za was established in this area during the Kamakura period. The pottery za was divided into a red pottery za and a white pottery za. The reason for the division into red and white pottery za is said to be that at Kasugasha, the chief priest (Oonakatomi clan) used red pottery and the Masaaki side (Nakatomi clan) used white pottery, with red pottery being used for morning offerings and white pottery being used for evening offerings. Kasuga Taisha and Kofuku-ji Temple each made use of pottery craftsmen living in Saikyo, but as Kofuku-ji Temple eventually gained real power at Kasuga Taisha, it came to dominate, and it is known that Daijo-in Monzeki and Ichijo-in Monzeki Monzeki each established pottery troupes. It is believed that pottery troupes with Todai-ji Temple and other temples as their headquarters were also formed, but the details are unclear. Next, the Saikyo Hibachi Troupe, which was affiliated with Daijo-in Monzeki, was established. Nara braziers and Nara furo (earthenware) were their main products. It is believed that these two groups moved to Kyoto during the third generation.

Akahada ware, which developed in the early modern period, was born from the traditions of the Saikyo pottery and Saikyo brazier that developed in the Middle Ages, and was sold not only in the south but also in Kyoto and Kyoto. In particular, demand for it increased greatly with the popularity of the tea ceremony. In the "Chaki Meibutsu-shu" (1558), which can be considered an alternative version of the "Yamagami Soujiki," it is written that "Nara Furo Saikyo Kashiro Gojo Nara Tenka Ichi Saku-i" (Nara Furo Saikyo Kashiro Gojo Nara Tenka Ichi Saku-i). Soushirou was the younger brother of the third Nishimura Zengoro (Sozen). Nishimura Zengoro's family business was making dofuro for generations, and the first Nishimura Soin lived in Saikyo as a Shinto priest of Kasuga Shrine and was a potter who made offerings to Kasuga Shrine. He is considered the ancestor of the Eiraku Zengoro family, which is counted among the ten generations of the Sen family of tea ceremony. He is currently the Akahada ware Kasuga potter.

This has become a long article, but let me conclude by briefly summarizing the history of the old kilns, old kilns, and new kilns.
The history of the Kogama kiln dates back to the ancient production of clay figurines by the Haji clan. The pillow word "Aotanyoshi" in the Manyoshu suggests that there was good quality clay in Mount Nara, and that this area has been suitable for pottery production since ancient times.
In the Middle Ages, it is thought to have played an important role in supporting the economy of the local community . The production of offerings to gods and Buddhas at Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Kofuku-ji Temple became popular, and trade guilds such as the Kasuga Red and White Pottery Association and the Saikyo Pottery Association were formed. These guilds have deep connections to Shinto rituals and are deeply connected to them. It can be said that the high-quality clay and the deep connection to gods and Buddhas have perpetually supported pottery production in this area.

According to books on Akahada ware compiled after the end of the Edo period, such as "Ceramics Study," "Honcho Ceramic Studies," and "Kogei Shiryo ," Akahada ware in Nara is counted among the seven kilns known as the "Enshu Seven Kilns" led by Kobori Enshu, a tea master who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
There are various theories about when and who started the kiln, including one that says Toyotomi Hidenaga invited potters from Tokoname to start the kiln during the Tensho era, and another that Nonomura Ninsei, a potter of overglaze ware in Kyoto, started the kiln during the Shoho era. From these theories, it can be seen that Akahada ware developed in multiple stages. Although Akahada ware went into a period of decline after that, it is believed to have been established as an industry since the era of these old kilns.

Opening of a new kiln and revival of Akahada wareThe new kiln is generally believed to have been opened by Yanagisawa Gyozan, lord of Koriyama Domain, during the Kansei era (1789-1801) . Gyozan invited potters from Kyoto and Shigaraki to revive the pottery industry, which was in decline at the time. Jihei's kiln in particular was given the Akahada ware kiln name and a copper seal reading "Akahada," and was highly valued as an official kiln for the Koriyama Domain. Records from that time state that "there were an eastern kiln, a central kiln, and a western kiln on Gojoyama," indicating that Akahada ware production was thriving.

The history of pottery in Nara dates back to ancient times and is marked by many different people and events. It can be said that the unique pottery culture in this region has been nurtured by the high-quality soil, the deep connection with gods and Buddha, and the tireless efforts of the people.