Kawana ware

It is of the sometsuke (染付) blue and white pottery type,[1] but notable for using the English technique of transfer printing.

[2] In the Buddhist temple Kōjaku-in (香積院) compound in Kawana village, a kiln was opened in the middle of the Kaei era (1848–54) by Kato Shinshichi (加藤新七), who was a disciple of the third generation Kawamoto Jihyoe (三代川本治兵) from Seto.

In reaction Kato Shinshichi tried a new direction by producing items with copper plate transfer printing.

The size of the kiln and the resulting production volume at Kōjaku-in was small and sales numbers were commercially limited.

Patterns were in blue-and-white sometsuke, depicting European-style ladies, western-style sailing ships, soldiers and the like, by a copperplate transfer printing technique.

Kawana ware porcelain jar, with a decoration of women in western dress transfer-printed in blue under a transparent glaze. Edo period , mid-19th century
Porcelain jar, with decoration transfer-printed in blue under a transparent glaze. Edo period , mid-19th century
Porcelain cups, with decoration transfer-printed in blue under a transparent glaze. Edo period , mid-19th century