Aoki Mokubei 1766-1833
In April 1807 Aoki Mokubei a famous painter from Kyoto was invited as a leader
in the Kasugayama kiln by Maeda Toshikore the 9th Lord of Kaga Han. Mokubei
was then 41 years old. At first he borrowed a kiln used for the manufacturing
of tiles in Utatsuyama a place close to Kanazawa. He tried to make pottery using
clay from Kanazawa and also from Kutani. In 1808, he built with the help from
Honda Teikichi a new kiln at Kasugayama, a mountain closed to Utatsuyama.
The Kaga castle burn in January 1808, then Mokubei went back in March to Kyoto,
he had stayed in Kasugayama only 1 year and half.
In 1811 he was invited to come back to Kanazawa by Hayashi Hachibei, a potter
of Wakasugi, to open the Wakasugi kiln under the protection of Lord Maeda .
Aoki Mokubei has used many different names. His original name was Yasoya but
he was usually called Sahei. He used also the name Kujukurin for painting and
also Kokikan .
In his thirties he has been called Robei. He had intention to do pottery and
was influenced by Hozan and Eikawa and he finally became a famous potter.
He is very good at Chinese style (Koshi), red painting, green pottery, gosu
and copy of Korean wares. He was also very good at chinese painting in Nanga
style .
In 1833 he died in Kyoto, he was 67 years old.
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