Shigaraki ware
Although figures representing the tanuki are a popular product included as Shigaraki ware, the kiln and local pottery tradition has a long history.
The development of kilns during the medieval period are thought to have taken place through the transformation of Sue ware technology.
The name Shigaraki describes a collective group of ceramic products made in a similar geographic area.
The town of Shigaraki was formed up of eighteen independent communities along the Daido River in the valley in the most southern tip of Shiga prefecture.
Evidence was found that the wares were first produced to meet the demands of farmers, making mortars, water urns, bottles, and deep dishes.
Simple, incised, and geometric lines are also evidence that the wares were produced for everyday agricultural pursuits.
The general public drank tea out of wooden bowls at fairs and markets, and the upper classes made a guessing game with the drink.
Influenced by Zen Buddhist traditions, Juko reestablished that the tea ceremony should reflect the concept of wabi-sabi, the belief of emphasizing simplicity, humility, and intense appreciation of the immediate experience.
The natural appearance of this pottery helped reflect these principles and fit into the aesthetic of the tea ceremony atmosphere.
The tea ceremony transformed the manner in which the Japanese viewed objects, including ceramic ware.
The local sandy clay from the bed of Lake Biwa has a warm orange color, and makes very durable pottery.
The wood fuel must be constantly supplied in order to achieve temperatures high enough to fire the clay.
A light, transparent, or almost glass-like glaze with a bluish-green tint also appears on some Shigaraki wares.
Unless allowed to gather in small pools, the glaze appears near invisible in most lighting, only becoming visible when the piece is held and turned in the hand.
The ware also reflects geta okoshi, the clog marks, where the clay rested on supports inside the kiln before firing.
Listed below are some characteristic examples of Shigaraki ware: This particular vessel has paddled marks about the shoulder seam.
This ware has a mark of three (san) lines on two places of the shoulder, that which is smoothed horizontally in a random manner.
This piece has a mark similar to a plus sign representing the number ten (ju) in two places on the shoulder.
