Wakasugi kiln - Some-tsuke - Diameter 41,8 cm
Honda Teikichi (1766-1819) had been first potter in Arita, then assistant
of Aoki Mokubei in Kasugayama kiln. Mokubei returned to Kyoto in winter 1808
and Honda continued to work at Kasugayama.
In 1811 he was invited by Hayashi Hachibei , a potter of Wakasugi, to open
a kiln with the support of Maeda Narinaga 12th Lord of Kaga to whom he had
borrowed money. They began to manufacture articles in the Imari style. This
kiln employed more than 50 persons from Kyoto, Hirado, Shigaraki etc. Under
the leadership of Teikichi, they built a kiln in the Hizen style and had quite
a big production.
In 1816, Maeda Narinaga, the Lord of Kaga took under his control the Wakasugi
kiln, it was then called Wakasugi-tokijo.
In 1819, a painter named Mita Yujiro came from Owatashima (Shikoku). His family
was involved in somemono (dyed clothing) before. He studied technic of painting
under Teikichi and soon began to do akae tsuke. Yujiro was good at making
"Imari nishikide" style work, however he had a particularity of
using gold paint "kinsai ".
Honda having discovered a deposit of good porcelain clay started to make wares
in Imari style in cooperation with Aoki Mokubei who had just returned from
Kyoto and 3 other potters. Unfortunately in 1819, Honda died and the project
failed. Maeda Narinaga took over the kiln and sold it to Hashimoto Yasuemon,
a rich merchant of Kanazawa. Hashimo reopened the kiln and continued the production
of ceramic.
Saida Isaburo is born in 1796 in Nomi Gun in the village of Sanno in a family
of rich farmers. In 1818, he went to Wakasugi kiln and learned akae from Ujiro.
In 1822 he left Wakasugi and went to Kyoto, Imari, Tamba , Owari .
In 1820 Wakasugi kiln became under direct control of the Sanbutsukata Office
of Kaga Han and Maeda Narinaga prohibited to buy pottery from outside his
Han, he protected and helped the kiln.
In 1830 Saida Isaburo returned to Wakasugi kiln, he was then very talented.
In 1836 a new clay deposit was discovered in Hanasaka which is the nearby
village, also in Hachimaida good clay was found. Wakasugi kiln prospered very
well.
In 1837 a fire occurred in the kiln and he was transferred to the next village
Hachimanudosan . At that time the painter Ujiro left Wakasugi kiln and went
to Shoin kiln in the north of Noto Prefecture.
Wakasugi kiln in Hachiman under the control of Maeda prospered a lot, however
other kilns opened one after this other, Ono gama...and as Wakasugi started
to produce pottery for every day usage in sometsuke the quality began to decline.
In 1867 the so called Meiji revolution started, the system of Han was stopped,
so was the support from the Han. In 1875 the kiln closed down.
Concerning identifications there are several possibilities. Wakai written
in a double square is the most often found, however we can also found written
or also this mark. There are some other cases such as "Kawakasugi"
or Wakasugi Sei , or Yu , or Yuji .