Collection: The Craft of Hasami Ware

Hand-drawn technique: Brush Painting

Although the development of printing technology has led to a whole host of new painting styles, there is a group of traditional Japanese artists that still find the beauty in painting by hand with a simple brush. They believe that nothing can beat the intricacy and creativity of a freehand pattern drawn on a plain vessel. Some place their pots and bowls on a rotating stand and draw lines while rotating the vessel in one smooth and fluid movement. Some use different methods, straight from the corners of their imagination. However, they have one thing in common: all of the pieces are unique and undeniably beautiful.

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Carving Techniques: "Kanna"

This skillful technique is used to carve elegant patterns called ‘shinogi’ on the surface of clay before firing. The artist engraves the surface with a tool called a ‘kanna’ and carefully applies a glaze before firing it in the kiln. The shading created by the patterns on the white porcelain results in objects with dazzlingly unique beauty.

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Glaze Techniques: "Kakewake"

‘Kakewake' is a decorative technique in which multiple glazes are applied to the same object. The glazes mix and interact at the lines and "bleeding" occurs, creating a unique texture. The individual differences in color shading and "bleeding" are all created by hand.

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Glaze Techniques: "Hotarude"

This series utilizes an intricate technique known as "sukashi-bori" (openwork sculpting), in which small holes are made in the soft clay to create an intricate pattern. The holes are then filled with a transparent glaze and the piece is fired in the kiln. The openwork pattern, which gently glimmers when held up to the light, is called "Hotarude", due to its likeness to the light of a firefly (“Hotaru” in Japanese).

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Material Techniques: "Shimaishi"(Striped Stone)

A uniquely striped ceramic stone called ‘shimaishi’ is found in Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture. The stone’s distinctive stripes are the remains of underground water flow caused by hydrothermal activity of magma 14 million years ago. Originally it was said that the grade of this stone was not high due to its high iron content and peculiar appearance when used in pottery, but in recent years, in order to avoid resource depletion, a technique has been developed to remove the iron from this ‘shimaishi’ to create a brilliant white clay.

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Material Technique: Semi-Porcelain

Vessels made by mixing the stone typically used for porcelain with the clay used for ceramics are called ‘semi-porcelain’. This is technique creates objects with characteristics that fall somewhere between ceramic and porcelain, utilizing both the soft texture and feel of earthenware and the strength of stone porcelain.

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Hasami Pottery

Until the discovery of potter's stone and the start of porcelain production about 400 years ago, the town of Hasami was already producing pottery using clay. The unique and varied techniques and individual expressions of the potters are a crowning feature of Hasami pottery, with some of the traditional production using clay still being carried out today.

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