Seven Kilns of Enshu

Seven kilns that are said to have been supervised by Kobori Enshu, a representative feudal lord and tea master of the early Edo period. All of them are national wares, and the seven kilns are Shidoro ware from Shizuoka, Zeze ware from Shiga, Asahi ware from Kyoto, Kosobe ware from Osaka, Akahada ware from Nara, Ueno ware from Fukuoka, and Takatori ware, which was stated in the "Thoughts on Pottery" written in 1854 (Ansei 1) at the end of the Edo period. In "Seto Pottery Introduction" written in 1811 (Bunka 8) by Matsudaira Fumai, the lord of Izumo Domain, in addition to Takatori and Zeze, Satsuma ware from Kagoshima, Higo ware from Kumamoto, Tamba ware from Hyogo, Karatsu ware from Saga, and Bizen ware from Okayama are also listed, which does not agree. The concept of the Seven Enshu Kilns seems to have been decided spontaneously in the late Edo period, and there is no consistent basis for it. Perhaps they were selected because of Enshu's preference for elegant style, incorporating the aesthetic sense symbolized by "kirei sabi." However, there are historical documents showing interactions between Enshu and Zeze ware and Takatori ware, and it is quite possible that they were also involved in the style of the pottery.

[Yoshiaki Yabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸初頭を代表する大名茶人であった小堀遠州が指導したと伝える七つの窯。いずれも国焼で、静岡の志戸呂(しどろ)焼、滋賀の膳所(ぜぜ)焼、京都の朝日焼、大坂の古曽部(こそべ)焼、奈良の赤膚(あかはだ)焼、福岡の上野(あがの)焼、高取焼の七つの窯をさすとしたのは幕末1854年（安政1）の『陶器考』である。出雲(いずも)藩主松平不昧(ふまい)が1811年（文化8）に著した『瀬戸陶器濫觴(らんしょう)』には、高取、膳所以外に、鹿児島の薩摩(さつま)焼、熊本の肥後(ひご)焼、兵庫の丹波(たんば)焼、佐賀の唐津(からつ)焼、岡山の備前(ぴぜん)焼があげられ、一致していない。遠州七窯の概念は江戸後期におのずと決まったものらしく、一貫する根拠もない。おそらく「きれいさび」で象徴される美意識を盛り込んだ遠州好みの瀟洒(しょうしゃ)な作風で選択したのかもしれない。ただ、膳所焼、高取焼と遠州との交渉を示す文献史料があり、作風にもかかわりをもったことは十分に考えられる。

［矢部良明］

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