Page 66 - Sothebys Fine Japanese Art London, November 2018

THE CHARM OF SHOKI IMARI

BY OHASHI KOJI, DIRECTOR EMERITUS,
KYUSHU CERAMIC MUSEUM

Shoki Imari – early Imari ware- was first developed in This transpired seven years later with the collapse
the early 17th century, in the city of Arita located in the of the Ming Dynasty and the establishment of the Qing
west of Kyushu Island, Japan. Its basic form, techniques dynasty, which suffered from insurgency of Ming loyal-
and texture are similar to those of Korean porcelain as ists in the south. The turmoil in the south affected the
Korean technicians were the first to find porcelain mate- world’s largest porcelain manufacturing sites such as
rials in Arita and consequently started porcelain ware Jingdezhen ware in Jiangxi Province and Zhangzhou
production in Japan. During this time a large quantity of ware in Fujian Province which both witnessed a sig-
blue and white porcelain from Jingdezhen, China was nificant decline in overseas export. The shortage of
being imported. Jingdezhen pottery, recognisable by Chinese porcelain in Japan prompted an increase in
its thin and sharp forms, had been in demand from production at the Saga Domain’s kilns which led to their
th
the Japanese upper class since the 16 century. Blue monopoly of the Japanese porcelain market by the
and white pottery decorated with a variety of vivid blue 1640s. During this period, Arita produced many Shoki
motifs was particularly popular. Imari masterpieces, mainly in the form of plates deco-
Shoki Imari potters, the first of whom were Korean rated with motifs from Jingdzehen ware. Plates formed
technicians, largely produced white porcelain without an integral part of Japanese tableware as side dishes
blue decoration. They were influenced by the decorative along with bowls used for rice and soup. There are
motifs in Jingdezhen porcelain which they adapted for many impressive examples of Shoki Imari plates with
their own work. Earlier Imari period, c. 1610-1630s, por- larger varieties, up to forty centimetres in length, pro-
celain ware borrowed motifs from the Chinese pictures duced in the Yanbeda kiln in Arita, at the special request
books Bazhong Huapu (Hasshu Gafu) and Tuhui Congyi of members of the upper class.
(Zue Soui). This mix of influences from the picture Early Shoki Imari ware visibly displays the influence
books and Jingdezhen porcelain resulted in the unique of Korean manufacturing techniques, seen with the form
design of Shoki Imari ware. and texture of flasks. However, the late 1640s to 1650s
Shoki Imari was Japan’s first porcelain ware and used marked a shift in technique towards the Chinese meth-
Korean techniques whilst seeking the quality of Chinese od, due to Chinese potters from Jingdezhen fleeing the
porcelain. Shoki Imari ware was distributed around Japan turmoil of the dynasty change from Ming to Qing in 1644
to compete with the abundance of imported Chinese and settling in Japan. Chinese potters introduced tech-
porcelain. From the 1630s, there was an increase in por- niques such as enamelling and biscuit firing leading to
celain production in Arita due to the decline in ceramic thinner and sharper forms in Imari ware.
manufacturing. The Nabeshima clan of Saga Domain As a result, throughout the 1650s, the more tra-
who controlled the Arita kilns expelled eight hundred and ditional production of Shoki Imari ware using Korean
twenty six Japanese potters from ceramic manufacturing techniques gradually decreased. A demand from Europe
in 1637, which saw the closure of all four kilns in the Imari relayed through the Dutch East India Company, for sub-
district and seven kilns in Arita. This in turn, resulted in the stitutes for Jingdezhen ware consolidated Chinese tech-
unification of the kilns in the east side of Arita. Thus, with niques. Biscuit porcelain production began in Arita and
the closure of the ceramic kilns of Karatsu ware, the focus by the late 1650s there was a large market of exports to
moved towards porcelain production. It is believed that Europe. Eventually, traditional elements of Shoki Imari
Saga Domain acted in such a way as they envisaged an disappeared, replaced with Japanese motifs or designs
(imminent) rapid growth in porcelain production. based on foreign influences at Dutch request.

64 SOTHEBY’S