Potter: Noutomi Naoko

Approximate size: W 3.3″ by H 2.9″ or 8.4 by 7.3 cm

This neat blue Hagi tea cup was made by Noutomi Naoko who is the daughter of the noted craftsman and famous Hagi potter Noutomi Susumu. Noutomi Susumu’s father Noutomi Choun started the kiln back in 1967 and called it O-Kazan-Choun-Gama. Now her father is the head of the kiln and Naoko is right in the center of the tradition. This family continues the traditional Hagi pottery tradition. Noutomi Naoko’s work is said to have been imbued with her personality by deeply carved lines and engravings in a seemingly familiar yet innovative way.

The origins of Hagi ware can be traced back to the arrival of Korean potters to Hagi, a quaint town situated in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the Japan Sea, following Japan’s military invasion of the Korean peninsula in the late 16th century. As a result, a large number of Korean craftsmen were abducted and transported to Japan, where they played a crucial role in establishing new pottery types such as Satsuma, Arita, and Hagi ware.

The current master at the O-Kazan-Choun-Gama is noted potter Susumu Noutomi. Hagi-yaki pottery often uses lighter colours like white and what is called Biwa-iro (loquat colour), but Noutomi focuses on blue in his works. His blue works bring to mind the sea and the sky, with a deep hue that expressing the nature of the clay and the variations in glazing. Many works shine with unique techniques such as using through mastery, the temperature variations in the kiln – and making expert use of the characteristics of the raw materials and his technique on the wheel to continue the legacy of one of the famous Hagi family lines.

---

This item is unused and in mint condition. There are no chips or cracks. Does not come with a wooden box.

€100 + shipping cost