ALEXCIOUS

At the upper reaches of the Daishoji River, deep in the mountains, there was once a village called Kutani. A stone monument marks the spot where the Daishoji Clan (a branch of Kaga Clan) established a kiln in about 1655, to make use of local porcelain stone. The porcelain-ware created there was later called 'Ko-Kutani'. Rich over-glaze colors applied with fluid brushwork – green, yellow, red, purple and blue – give KUTANI porcelain its characteristic beauty. However, for reasons unknown, only half a century later the kiln was abandoned. About 100 year later, KUTANI porcelain was revived under the patronage of the Kaga clan. Various styles competed and combined to develop into the over-glaze techniques that have been handed down to this day. In modern times, the gorgeous Kinrande style has become well known in the West as 'Japan KUTANI'. KUTANI porcelain, which combines the artistry of Ko-Kutani ware and the utilitarian beauty that developed from 'revived KUTANI', continues to evolve.