Before talking about old Kutani, we must explain about Suisaka yaki. Suizaka is a small
village between Daishoji and Yamashiro, on the top of a hill. In the old time there was a
jail in Suizaka village.
The old Suisaka kiln is located on the edge of the village near a bamboo forest. Today
there is a hole which is now full of water where the potters used to get their clay.
Before the control by Lord Maeda Toshinaga of the Kaga area, this area was the domain of
Yamaguchi Munenaga.
Munenaga was a Samurai, he went to Korea during the Japan Korean war. Coming back from the
war , he took back with him a Korean potter. It is said that Munenaga was found of Tea
ceremony. The Korean potter started Suisaka kiln in this place.
In 1600, Yamaguchi Munenaga (Genban) was defeated and killed by Maeda Toshinaga, who took
his Daishoji castle. At that time Suizaka became the domain of Maeda. Until the beginning
of Ko-Kutani, for 50 years, the Korean potters continued to make pottery at Suizaka. At
that period a candy factory was also started, and these business were sufficient for this
area to live peacefully.
In 1628 Maeda Toshitsune decided to develop Suizaka, he brought potters from Seto.Potters
of Mizoro began to make pottery in Suizaka. Mizoro is the place where Ninsei built his
first kiln.) It is not very clear when this kiln closed down. In 1685 Suizaka continued to
make pottery and some in a style similar to Ko-Kutani.
Some fragment of Suizaka pottery have been discovered and are now kept in Suizaka . There
is now a museum and a small kiln operated on this location The Suizaka original wares are
totally different from Kutani style, they look like Korean wares and the clay which was
used contain a lot of iron. Their surface is also made with iron glaze which is also very
rough. There is some times brush line at the surface. The clay used for the pottery is
very fine, and can make a very smooth pottery which can be made by hand wheel. As these
wares are very simple their were very good for tea ceremony.
When the Ko-Kutani has started around 1650 in the Daishoji Han, they certainly must have
employed some potters of Suizaka.