Ninnami Dohachi (Takahashi Dohachi) - The master potter who built the second golden age of Kyoto ware
Life and character: Born and raised in the golden age of Kyoto ware
Ninnami Dohachi (the second Takahashi Dohachi, 1783-1855) was born into a family of potters in Awataguchi, Kyoto, and his real name was Mitsutoki. When his father, the first Dohachi, died in 1804 (the first year of the Bunka era), Ninnami took over the family kiln at the age of 22, assuming the name of the second generation, and in 1811 (the 8th year of the Bunka era) moved the kiln from Awataguchi to Gojozaka. In 1826 (Bunsei 9), he was bestowed the character "Jin" (Nin) on his name by the emperor, and the following year he was invited by the Kishu Domain to found Wakayama Kairakuen ware (Kishu Oniwa ware) together with his son (Dohachi III) and his disciples. Kyoto at the end of the Edo period was in what is known as the "second golden age" since Nonomura Ninsei, and Dohachi was active as one of its leading master craftsmen. In 1842 (Tenpo 13), he retired and handed over the business to Dohachi III, building the "Momoyama Kiln" in Fushimi Momoyama where he continued to produce pottery until his death in 1855 (Ansei 2) at the age of 73.
Diverse styles and innovative techniques
Dohachi learned from his father, the potters of Unrin-in, and the literati potter Okuda Eisen.
His style was truly diverse, and he made full use of all kinds of styles and techniques, including Chinese-style blue and white porcelain, overglaze porcelain (colored pottery), Raku-style black glaze, Kenzan-style (Ogata Kenzan-style), and Ninsei-style. He was especially known as a master of copying tea ceremony utensils, and left behind many works in which he beautifully reproduced masterpieces from China and Korea in response to requests. On the other hand, he is also well-known for his original mechanisms born from flexible ideas. For example, he has come up with unprecedented ingenuity, such as a playful design in which a colored girl figurine is revealed to have nothing underneath her kimono when turned over, with her private parts covered by her palms, and a mechanism in which the pattern on a Kenzan-style pot changes when it is turned around. Dohachi was thus a genius potter who combined respect for tradition with bold creativity.
The beauty and craftsmanship of his masterpieces
Black-raku crane and turtle pattern tea bowl (made by Niami Dohachi)
Ninnami Dohachi's pottery often used auspicious Zen motifs. This pair of black- and red-glazed tea bowls features a design of the auspicious cranes and turtles, with a flying crane depicted in white on the outside and a leisurely walking turtle on the inside (bottom). The crane and turtle motif is an auspicious motif that symbolizes longevity, and was favored by Ninnami Dohachi and others who were influenced by literati potters of the late Edo period such as Okuda Eisen, Ninsei, and Kenzan. In addition, thick Raku tea bowls like this one are designed to retain heat well and fit comfortably in the hand.
A colored teapot with a tea poem and a poem by Ninami Dohachi As Senchado became more popular from the second half of the 18th century, many Sencha tea utensils were produced, including teapots with designs based on Lu Tong's (Chinese poet) Sencha poem "Chaka." This teapot has Lu Tong's poem inscribed all around it in indigo and vermilion colored paint, and has a sharp spout on its rounded body. Ninnami Dohachi not only produced matcha tea utensils for tea ceremonies, but also teapots, ryoro (stove), and sencha bowls in response to the popularity of Sencha culture.
Dohachi's individuality also shines through in the hand bowls (tebachi, kaiseki bowls) used for kaiseki cuisine and tea ceremonies. The photo shows a hand bowl with a bold iron painting (rust painting) of bamboo covered in snow. Particularly famous are the "Unkinde" bowls, which are half painted with cherry blossoms and half painted with autumn leaves, as well as the "Snow Bamboo" painting. These pots gained huge popularity as soon as they were created during the Bunsei period. The Yukitakemonte pot shown in the photo is designed so that its appearance changes depending on the angle from which it is viewed.
This is a large bowl with Unnishikide (colored cherry blossom and maple leaf design). Cherry blossoms in full bloom and autumn leaves are vividly painted on the inside and outside, creating a beautiful example of the contrast between the lapis lazuli color showing through the clay base and the vermilion color of the autumn leaves. Dohachi was also skilled in highly decorative techniques such as brocade and colored painting, and expressed the four seasons of Kyoto with rich shades of paint. As a master of Kyoto ware following in the footsteps of Ninsei and Kenzan, he mastered the gorgeous and elegant colored painting technique.
A representative example of the sculptures created by Nin'ami Dohachi is this 72.5cm tall standing statue of Jurojin. Modeled after Jurojin, the star god of longevity, this large-scale work is entirely finished in colored paint, and its facial expression is lively. As the main visual for the venue, it clearly shows Dohachi's style, which expanded the possibilities of ceramic sculpture with his calm observational eye. When turned over, these ornaments are decorated all the way down to the bottom, reflecting the artist's playfulness in every detail.
This white-glazed goat-shaped teaburi (a container for charcoal fires placed in a fireplace) is an example of how Ninnami Dohachi injects humor into tea utensils. It features a realistic depiction of a goat sleeping in the grass and a smooth glaze that looks warm to the touch. Dohachi expressed interest beyond the imagination of viewers through his sculptural works such as ornaments, teaburi, and hearth covers.
Colored raccoon hearth cover (by Ninami Dohachi)
This hearth cover, an anthropomorphized raccoon dog, is a decorative item used to cover the hearth in a teahouse. The raccoon dog is depicted sitting in meditation, wearing gold-painted priest's robes against a navy blue background, with a somewhat comical expression on its face. Nin'ami was also skilled at creating works featuring animals and people, and he produced many colorful incense containers and ornaments like this raccoon dog hearth cover.
The Functional Beauty of Tea Ceremony Utensils
Ninnami Dohachi considered not only the beauty of the design but also the practicality of the tea utensils. He pursued "ease of handling" through details such as the rim of the tea bowl making it easy to drink from, the body being thick for excellent heat retention, and the foot being a stable size. Kyoto has been linked to the tea ceremony culture of the upper class since ancient times, so Kyo-yaki tea utensils have developed with an emphasis on ease of use as well as gorgeous decorativeness. Ninnami's works are full of designs that take into consideration the hand movements and visual effects of making tea.
The Succession of the Takahashi Dohachi Family: From Three Generations to the Present
In 1842, Ninnami Dohachi handed over the Gojozaka kiln to his son Mitsuhide (Dohachi III). Dohachi III (1811-1879) inherited his father's realistic aesthetic sense but produced works with a more delicate brushwork, and together with Dohachi IV, he supported Kyoto ware in the Meiji period. The traditions of the Dohachi family have been passed down without interruption ever since, and in modern times Takahashi Dohachi IX is involved in overglaze Kyoto ware tea utensils. The Dohachi family has protected its name for approximately 240 years, and continues to present new and unique worldviews to this day.
The relationship between the aesthetic sense of tea ceremony and Kyoto ware
Kyo-yaki (including Kiyomizu-yaki) developed along with the popularity of the tea ceremony. As tea ceremonies spread to upper class society from the Azuchi-Momoyama period through the Edo period, the shogunate, nobles, and wealthy merchants encouraged the production of original pottery for tea ceremonies. During this period, Nonomura Ninsei and Ogata Kenzan increased the value of Kyo-yaki with their vibrant colored porcelain, and Ninnami Dohachi and others incorporated Kyoto's traditional culture to create new styles. As the tea ceremony places great importance on a sense of the seasons and on wabi-sabi, Kyo-yaki tea utensils also reflect the spirit of flowers, birds, wind, and moon, as well as Zen. Ninnami's works are decorated with numerous natural patterns and auspicious objects such as cherry blossoms, bamboo, and pine, and strongly reflect an aesthetic that is conscious of "hospitality" at the tea ceremony. These embodied the history and spirituality of tea utensils cultivated in Kyoto, and it can be said that Kyo-yaki is still loved today as the flower of tea ceremony culture. .
Takahashi Dohachi – High-end pottery specialty store [Amagi-do]