Glossary
1) Pottery terms
Akasaibyokinsai - 赤細描金彩
This refers to a particular painting style where gold dust, suspended in pine oil resin, is applied on red detailed design.
Bengala - Red pigment - 弁柄
Bengala is natural iron oxide. It has its origin in the Bengal region in India-Bangladesh where the process was first established. It is a very ancient technique. Bengala used in kutani akae is coming from Okayama prefecture where bengala is produced since many generations.
Gosai - Five colors - 五彩
Red, blue, yellow, purple and green are the 5 Kutani colors. Generaly clear overglaze is put on top. This is called also in Japan Nishikide
Gosu - 呉須
Originally Gosu is coming from China, it is a natural product which content a lot of cobalt, manganese and iron. The natural color is almost black. This product is used as a paint materail for some tsuke.
Recently an artificial Gosu has been used.
Gosuakae - 呉須赤絵
It is a similar product than Gosu except that it is a red glaze. This product was first used in China in Canton district at the end of Ming begining of Shin dinasties.
Gosuaoe -呉須青絵
It is the same as Gosuakae but only using a green glaze instead of red.
Gosude - 呉須手
Originally it is a some tsuke Chinese style used in the south of China, west of Yang tse kyang and in Canton province at the end of Ming, begining of Shin dinasties.
The color of the cobalt is almost black and the color is not a very nice blue. This type of design which imitates the Chinese style when made in Japan is called Gosude.
Hachirode style
Style developped by Idaya Hachiroemon from Ono gama which consists on red detailled painting.
Hanjiki
Half porcelain, it is made of kaolin clay which once glazed at high temperature become hard, the color is a not pure white but as a yellow, grey or even green tendency depending from the clay used. The surface is not so glassy and smooth as in a porcelain.
Hoshibokufu - 方氏墨譜
Red painting style created by Hachirode in Ono kiln and which was very popular at that time.
Jiki - 磁器
Porcelain, it is made of hard kaolin clay which once glazed at high temperature become very hard, white and very glassy and smooth. In general no Kutani ceramic can be classified as a Jiki but rather Hanjiki.
Kinrande - 金欄手
Gold decoration on red back ground
Kinsai akae - 金彩赤絵
Nanga= Nanshuga=Bunjinga 南画 南宗画 文人画
Nanga is one of the 2 big groups of Chinese Sansuiga painting style (small mountain and water). The Bunjinga style was developped during Ming dinasty from Ohi.
In Japan Nanga style was introduced from the middle of Edo period.
Okimono - 置物
Okimono is a Japanese term meaning "ornament for display; objet d’art; decorative object" often used to describe ceramic figurines.
Nishiki kiln - 錦窯
Kiln for overglaze painting, generally electric
Saimitsuga - 細密画
A painting style which consits of very detailled motifs, generally red.
Shonzui - 祥瑞
It is one of famous chinese sometsuke style. It first was produced at end of Ming dinasty, 1628 - 1644. This style is used for sakazuki, bowl, and Tokkuri. The color is violet blue.
Shoten - 商店
Shop which had a kiln (generally nishiki kiln) and was selling is own production
Sometsuke - 染付
In general sometsuke means underglaze blue painting.
Tessenbyo - 鉄線描
This is a painting style. Tessen means steel wire, therefore it refers to the way the lines used for underglaze paint are drawn. The lines, made with a paint brush, must be stable, very thin with a very regular shape and have the same color.
This technic is used for the drawing of persons and for boudhism painting.
Toki - 陶器
Faience or half porcelain, it is made also of kaolin clay which once glazed at lower temperature become hard. The color is not so white compared to porcelain but is also glassy and smooth.
Uwaetsuke - 上絵付
This is simply overglaze painting made with Uwaenogu (paint for overglaze) on white pottery and firing at high temperature.
2) Others terms
Bafuku
Name given to the governement of the Tokugawa regime.
Daimyo
Title given to a Lord who govern a fief.
Fudai
Name given to the Daimyos who were hereditary vassals of Ieyasu or his successors and who were supporting Tokugawa government.
Fude - 筆
Name of a Japanese brush used for painting generally Kanji character or for underglaze painting..
Gun - 郡
A Gun can be assimilated in Europe to a district.
Ken - 県
It is the equivalent of a Prefecture.
Machi / Cho- 町
City
Mura - 村
Village
Tozama
Name given to the Daimyos who were Lords of domains inherited from their ancestors and not granted by Tokugawa family. The Tozama were not under direct control of the Shogun. But they had to accept the dominance of the Tokugawa family.
