Aoya Genouemon 1789-1863

Aoya Genouemon is the most famous of all the Komatsu potters. Genouemon father was named Genbei , he had been potter during 5 years at Kyoto Gojozaka , then returned to Komatsu and worked as a raku potter. Genemon is born in Komatsu in 1789. He learned first from his father raku pottery and entered Wakasugi kiln where he learned fron Honda Teikichi. After the death of Teichiki, in 1822, he built a kiln called Toko in Komatsu city in Saimokucho.

In 1824, when Yoshidaya started to built a kiln in the Kutani village, Genuemon joined Yoshidaya at this time.

Evenso he joined Yoshidaya kiln as the main painter, he continued to work in Wakasugi kiln. However sometime later he had to quit Wakasugi kiln.

Yoshidaya kiln was in Enuma-gun, therefore under the leadership of the Daishoji Han. Wakasugi kiln was in Nomi-gun, on the contrary under the support of the Kaga Han. The fact that Genuemon left Wakasugi to Yoshidaya did not please at all the Kaga Han who had to send a letter to the Komatsu district Chief asking him to return urgently Genemon to Wakasugi kiln.

Genouemon had a very high salary compared to the other workers, but his hability as a painter was specially good.

He returned to Wakasugi kiln when Yoshidaya moved from Kutani to Yamashiro. However in 1826 the name of Genouemon was still on the list of the Yoshidaya painters. Therefore it is not very clear when exactly he returned to Wakasugi.

Around 1830, he started working at Rendaiji kiln, Ono kiln, and Matsuyama kiln as an instructor and also as one of the main worker and he participated a lot in the developpement of all these kilns.

In Ono kiln he worked with the young Choza and Matsuya Kikusaburo who entered the Ono kiln several years later, he built then the golden times of the Ono kiln.

In 1847 he left Ono kiln and joined Matsuya Kikusaburo who was working at the Rendaiji kiln. He made mainly Ao Kutani pottery in these kilns. Around 1848 Matsuyama kiln opened and soon after the opening he was invited by Yamamoto to join as a main painter. On June 1st 1963 Aoya Genuemon died, he was 75 years old.

Genouemon is related to all main kilns and he worked very actively, but in addition he has developped a kind of raku pottery called nanto, which is made by his own special way. There is no similar one with a so elaborated works.

For this he used red clay to make pottery with a smooth surface, then put several paints and colors and cover with soft glaze.

This technic is similar to to traditional Kyoyaki but there is no one with so much details. Specially by pottery it is very difficult to make desk, calligraphy box, food box for ceremony, chest or fire box which are not in inferior quality than wood work.

Genouemon had many students in Kutani who later became very famous, Matsuya Kikusaburo, Kitaichiya Heikichi etc.

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