Oribe ware

Oribe ware (also known as 織部焼 Oribe-yaki) is a style of Japanese pottery that first appeared in the sixteenth century.

It is a type of Japanese stoneware recognized by its freely-applied glaze as well as its dramatic visual departure from the more somber, monochrome shapes and vessels common in Raku ware of the time.

[4] Throughout the late Momoyama (1573–1615) and early Edo periods (1615–1868) in Japan, the art of the Japanese tea ceremony underwent new developments.

Furuta Oribe was recognized as a disciple of Sen no Rikyū, another extremely important and influential tea master.

[3] Still others suggest that the connection between the two should be treated as a coincidence in history – that they happened to coexist at the same time, and this has influenced perceptions of Oribe ware today.

[15] The revolutionary colors, shapes, and methods used in Oribe ceramics represent a noteworthy venture into modernity within the tea ceremony.

The newer and larger kilns gave potters the potential to fire at much higher temperatures, which allowed reliable and even maturation of the glaze, resulting in that lustrous shine characteristic of Oribe.

[2] The new design also allowed for more effective firing in terms of space; more wares were required to fill a kiln, and this more potters must have been working in each area.

[6] Despite these identifying factors, many researchers claim that differentiating these types of ceramics is extremely difficult, and often based solely on aesthetic criteria.

[3] Many consider this to be the most popular form of Oribe ware; it is highly recognizable from its fresh colored green glaze and contrasting white backgrounds.

The clay is normally white and red, mixed and intermingling on a single piece to create what some scholars consider to be the most colorful type of Oribe.

[3] Texture is often introduced in design and sometimes even by creating small imprints on the actual vessel, giving a multidimensional appearance.

Some art historians praise these pieces as striking the “perfect balance between liveliness and refinement.” Oftentimes, this type of Oribe features designs also done in white slip.

To achieve this appearance, potters take the ceramics from the kiln and rapidly cool them, resulting in a very lustrous black glaze- a simple yet effective method.

[3] Dark glaze is applied using a typical pouring or trailing method, but parts of the bowl may be left untouched.