Kitade Tojiro 1898-1968
Kitade Tojiro is born in 1898 . He is the 3rd son of Sakamoto Fujiyoshi. At
first his name was Sakamoto Fujiro.
He learned painting from Yano Kyosan and pottery from Itaya Hazan. He entered
first Kansai law university, then quit.
In 1922, when 24 years old, he became the adopted son of Kitade family. Kitade
Kamekichi was manager of the Sakaedani kiln, also called Kitade kiln, in Chokushi
village. Kitade Tojiro became then the husband of Kamekichi younger sister.
In 1926 he went to Osaka Art University where he graduated in 1928.
In 1930 as Kitade Kamekichi died, he took over the Kitade kiln. At that time
he was doing mainly some-tsuke and had 10 employees. This year he entered for
the first time Ishikawa Art Exhibition and started to receive prizes. Since
then he had obtained many prizes.
In 1936 Tomimoto Kenkichi came to his kiln to perform research of enamel painting.
He taught Kenkichi enamel paint and also study from Kenkichi research. As a
result, his style received a very strong influence from Tomimoto Kenkichi.
He received in 1936 for his kiln from Kenkichi the name of Seissen kiln.
Tojiro has introduced a new style of Kutani pottery and brought a new wave of
Kutani colors. He was excellent in his ceramic as a modern Japanese painter
using the old Kutani colors with a more modern style of decoration.
After the 2nd war, he opened a private school (Kanazawa Bizen) to educate student
son the art of pottery. He became Chief of pottery Department. In 1947 he became
a member of Nitten Exhibition.
Later around 1956, he became professor of Kanazawa Arts and Crafts University
and was teaching to promote Kutani style pottery for the new generation.
In 1964 he received a prize from Ministry of Education and in 1968, he is the
only potter who received a prize of Geijutsuinsho.
In 1968 he became member of Japanese Art Association. He died on December 12,
1968, he was 70 years old.
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