Arita ware
Reading ありたやきAlso written 伊万里・有田焼 (METI designation name) · 伊万里焼 Imari ware · 古伊万里 Ko-Imari · 初期伊万里 Shoki-Imari (Early Imari) · 肥前磁器 Hizen porcelain · 柿右衛門様式 Kakiemon style · 鍋島 Nabeshima · 金襴手 kinrande
Porcelain from Arita in Saga prefecture (old Hizen province), where Japan's first porcelain was made in the early 17th century from local porcelain stone; tradition credits a Korean potter, Ri Sanpei (Kanagae Sanbei), with finding the Izumiyama stone in 1616. Shipped from the port of Imari, it was long called Imari ware, and from the 1640s–50s the Dutch East India Company carried it to Europe.
On this page
Forms, use and context#
Styles include Early Imari, Ko-Imari, Kakiemon, kinrande and the domain's Nabeshima ware.
Body#
Porcelain. The METI standard names Amakusa (天草) or Izumiyama (泉山) porcelain stone, celadon from Izumiyama or Ōkawachi celadon stone, and gold or silver leaf. The Met essay describes the Arita clay as including kaolin.17
Glazes#
| Glaze | 日本語 | Description | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-and-white (sometsuke) | 染付 | Underglaze cobalt (gosu) painting; the earliest Arita porcelain was blue-and-white. | 21 |
| Overglaze enamels (aka-e / iro-e) | 赤絵・色絵 | Japan's first overglaze-enamelled porcelain appeared in Arita in the 1640s (Kyushu Ceramic Museum text); the Met dates the development of overglaze enamels to the 1630s. | 27 |
| Kakiemon style | 柿右衛門様式 | Named after the Kakiemon kiln; red, yellow, green, blue and black enamels with motifs from painting, set on a milky-white ground with generous blank space; important in the later 17th century and copied in Europe, for example at Meissen. | 723 |
| Kinrande | 金襴手 | Heavy gold over enamels, inspired by older Chinese styles; popular with Western upper classes in the first half of the 18th century. | 23 |
| Nabeshima | 鍋島 | Made at a separate domain kiln for the shogunal household, lords and nobles, with smooth surfaces, soft colours and Japanese textile and nature motifs; techniques were kept secret. The Kyushu Ceramic Museum shows Nabeshima official-kiln ware among its old Kyushu ceramics. | 784 |
| Other glazes in the METI standard | 石灰釉・青磁釉・鉄釉・瑠璃釉 | Lime glaze, celadon, iron glaze and ruri (cobalt blue) glaze; underglaze pigments include gosu, copper red (釉裏紅) and iron (銹絵具). | 1 |
Methods#
- Process (METI page) Clay preparation, forming, finishing and drying, bisque firing, underglaze painting, glazing, main firing at about 1300 °C, overglaze painting, and enamel firing at 760–830 °C; each stage is often done by a specialist.1
- Forming Wheel, press moulds (押型, 型打ち), hand-building and slip casting.1
- Raw material (Edo) In 1637 the Saga domain concentrated porcelain making near Izumiyama, and water-powered trip hammers crushed the stone.2
- Meiji changes Plaster moulds, new pigments and new kiln types came from Europe after Japan reopened to trade.2
Typical objects#
term: tableware (dishes, bowls); the METI page stresses use as everyday tablewareterm: export shapes such as coffee pots, decanters and mugs (17th–18th c.)term: 瓶子 heishi and 高台皿 footed plates (Nabeshima presentation pieces)Not yet verified: sencha or matcha tea objects; none named in the sources read
Periods#
- 1590s – 1610sAfter Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, Hizen lords brought Korean potters to Japan; they first worked on Karatsu stoneware, then made porcelain once suitable material was found near Arita.
- 1616Traditional date: Ri Sanpei (李参平, Japanese name Kanagae Sanbei 金ヶ江三兵衛, d. 1655) is said to have found porcelain stone at Izumiyama and built kilns; METI's page says the porcelain then fired is said to be Japan's first.
- c. 1644 – 1757When Chinese exports stopped in the Ming–Qing transition, the Dutch turned to Arita; new European shapes (coffee pots, decanters, beer mugs, mustard pots) were made. Chinese exports resumed by the 1680s and the Dutch East India Company officially ended Arita exports in 1757.2
- 17th century – 19th centuryKo-Imari: the usual name for Arita porcelain of this span.2
- 1873 – 1878Meiji government promoted porcelain at the Vienna (1873), Philadelphia (1876) and Paris (1878) fairs.2
Kiln sites#
| Site | Period | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 肥前磁器窯跡 Hizen porcelain kiln sites: Tengudani (天狗谷), Yambeta (山辺田), Haruake (原明), Hyakken (百間), Fudōyama (不動山) kiln sites, Arita, Takeo and Ureshino | early Edo | 5 |
| 泉山磁石場跡 Izumiyama porcelain-stone quarry, Arita | from 1616 (traditional date) | 52 |
| 大川内山 Ōkawachiyama, Imari: site of the Nabeshima domain kiln (鍋島藩窯) | Edo (about 200 years) to the abolition of the domains | 8 |
Ambiguities#
- The founding story is tradition, not settled fact. The 1616 date and Ri Sanpei's role come from family and domain records (e.g. 金ヶ江日記); a Kanagae Sanbei who died in 1655 is documented, but one dictionary says it is unclear whether he founded the Tengudani kiln or is the same person as Ri Sanpei, and another says excavation at Tengudani suggests porcelain firing began earlier, in the Keichō era (1596–1615). The Kyushu Ceramic Museum text itself says porcelain stone was found 'in the 1610s' and that Sanpei 'is said to' have found Izumiyama.62
- The first overglaze enamels: the Kyushu Ceramic Museum text says the 1640s; the Met says overglaze enamels were developed in the 1630s.27
- 'Imari' has two meanings: historically Arita porcelain shipped from Imari port (hence Ko-Imari), and today ware actually made in Imari city. The METI designation joins both names (伊万里・有田焼).21
- Not yet verified: Nabeshima dating: the Met places the domain's special kiln around the mid-17th century; the Imari Nabeshima cooperative marked a 350th anniversary in 2025 and speaks of about 200 years of the domain kiln at Ōkawachiyama. These may refer to different stages (founding versus the Ōkawachi site), but no source read says so. Not yet verified.78
- Raw material wording: METI and the museum text speak of porcelain stone (陶石) from Izumiyama and Amakusa; the Met essay speaks of 'kaolin'. These are different materials in strict usage; the entry keeps the Japanese sources' term.17
Heritage listings#
1977
伝統的工芸品 (METI designated traditional craft), as 伊万里・有田焼1
Production in Imari, Takeo, Ureshino and Arita. Cooperative: 佐賀県陶磁器工業協同組合.
1980
国指定史跡 (national Historic Site)5
- Site
- 肥前磁器窯跡 (Tengudani, Yambeta, Haruake, Hyakken, Fudōyama kiln sites and the Izumiyama quarry)
日本遺産 Japan Heritage9
- Item
- Story 037: 日本磁器のふるさと 肥前 〜百花繚乱のやきもの散歩〜
Not yet verified: Covers Arita, Imari, Mikawachi, Hasami, Ureshino, Takeo and Karatsu. Not yet verified: certification year not shown on the page read; the English page was blocked.
重要無形文化財 (craft category)
Not yet verified: national designations relating to Kakiemon-style enamel and Iro-Nabeshima exist as group (保持団体) recognitions, but no 文化庁 source was read; do not name living family heads.
Other recorded fields#
- Other influences
- Relation: influenced Note: Porcelain at Arita was begun by Korean potters brought to Hizen after the 1590s invasions; tradition names Ri Sanpei from Chungcheong. Name: Korean (Joseon) potters and ceramics726
- Relation: influenced Note: Kinrande was inspired by older Chinese gold-overglaze styles. Name: older Chinese gold-decorated porcelain2
- Relation: counterpart Note: Arita filled the export gap left when Chinese porcelain supply fell in the Ming–Qing transition, and lost ground when Chinese exports resumed in the 1680s. The sources say 'Chinese porcelain' without naming Jingdezhen; the link to the jingdezhen entry is the lead's inference and needs a source. Name: jingdezhen (Chinese porcelain; Jingdezhen not named by the sources)27
Sources#
Status and editorial notes draft
Sources are listed below. Their presence does not certify every claim; source-specific interpretations and unresolved questions are identified in the text. This page has not received independent expert approval.
- Covers Arita, Imari, Mikawachi, Hasami, Ureshino, Takeo and Karatsu. Not yet verified: certification year not shown on the page read; the English page was blocked.
- national designations relating to Kakiemon-style enamel and Iro-Nabeshima exist as group (保持団体) recognitions, but no 文化庁 source was read; do not name living family heads.
- sencha or matcha tea objects; none named in the sources read
- Nabeshima dating: the Met places the domain's special kiln around the mid-17th century; the Imari Nabeshima cooperative marked a 350th anniversary in 2025 and speaks of about 200 years of the domain kiln at Ōkawachiyama. These may refer to different stages (founding versus the Ōkawachi site), but no source read says so. Not yet verified.