Potters drew inspiration from Chinese ceramics, including green celadon porcelains and dark brown tenmoku wares.
[5] Later, in the Muromachi period (1337–1573), Seto glazes were refined and the styles developed there spread to other areas in Japan such as modern Gifu Prefecture.
Later Seto works were given a brown iron glaze and fired at high temperatures to create glossy surfaces.
During the Kan'ei era (1624–44), the first daimyō of Owari Domain Tokugawa Yoshinao (1601–1650) had a kiln constructed at the corner of the Ofuke enceinte (Ofukemaru) of Nagoya Castle and invited potters from Seto to make pottery there.
The clay available in Seto is a high-quality kaolin and porcelain stone which turns white when fired and helps produce colored glazes.