Kiyomizu ware

A representative example of early modern Kyoto ware. The pottery industry in Kyoto, which began in the Momoyama period, developed in the Edo period, especially in the area around the foothills of the Higashiyama mountains. Kiyomizu ware is one of these kilns, and its first appearance in historical documents is in the entry for October 1643 in the Kakumei-ki. From the 17th to the 18th century, it shows an elegant and stylish style of overglaze painting, with green and blue as the main tones and with a minimum of red overglaze. However, the remains of the ancient style from the time the kiln was first opened are unclear, and the above-mentioned style is a stylized beauty common to the Higashiyama kilns, so in that sense this kiln lacks individuality. Therefore, the products of kilns such as Awataguchi, Mizoro, Iwakurayama, Seikanji, and Otowa, including those with and without a mark, are commonly referred to as Ko-Kiyomizu.

In the 18th century, Higashiyama kilns were concentrated in the three Kyoto ware kilns of Awataguchi, Kiyomizu, and Gojozaka, and during the Bunka era (1804-1818), they made a great leap towards firing porcelain. Thanks to the efforts of Ninnam Dohachi, Wake Kametei II (died 1822), Mizukoshi Yozabuei I (died 1845), and others, white porcelain, blue and white porcelain, and celadon were fired, and a modern production system was established. At the same time, talented individual potters also produced artistic ceramics. As a result, traditional overglaze pottery came to be fired mainly in Awataguchi, while the emerging porcelain came to be fired in the Kiyomizu and Gojozaka kilns.

[Yoshiaki Yabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

近世京焼の代表的な焼物。桃山時代に始まる京都の製陶業は、江戸時代に入ってとくに東山山麓(さんろく)一帯で発展をみた。清水焼はその一窯であり、『隔蓂(かくめい)記』の寛永(かんえい)20年（1643）10月の条に登場してくるのが史料の初出である。17世紀から18世紀にかけては、あくまで赤の上絵を控えた緑と青を主調とする優美で瀟洒(しょうしゃ)な色絵の作風を示している。しかし開窯当初の古格な遺品は判然とせず、上述の作風も東山諸窯に共通する様式美であり、その意味でこの窯の個性は乏しい。したがって有印・無印を含めて、粟田口(あわたぐち)、御菩薩(みぞろ)、岩倉山、清閑寺、音羽(おとわ)などの諸窯の製品を一括して世に古清水と呼び習わしている。

　18世紀に入ると東山諸窯は粟田口、清水、五条坂の京焼「三所」に集中し、文化(ぶんか)年間（1804～18）を迎えると磁器焼成へと大きく発展する。仁阿弥道八(にんなみどうはち)、2代和気亀亭（1822没）、初代水越(みずこし)与三兵衛（1845没）らの尽力により、白磁、染付、青磁を焼き、近代的生産体制を固めると同時に、優れた個人陶工が美術陶磁も手がけた。その結果、伝統的な色絵陶器は主として粟田口で、新興の磁器は清水・五条坂窯で焼かれることとなった。

［矢部良明］

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