Page 196 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

126 THE CATALOGUE

PROVINCE OF BUZEN

Though little pottery is made in Buzen to-day, yet in past times its first
important advance, like that of Satsuma, Higo, and other provinces, dates
from the advent of Korean potters in the latter years of the sixteenth
century. Since that time potteries have been started in Kaharu and other
places.

AGANO (Case 14 and Plate IX. 1460, 1469)
The pottery known as Agano takes its name from the town in which it originated.
Kijo, a Korean potter brought from Korea with Hideyoshi's army, built an oven
in Agano, and began making pottery with coarse clay and black glaze after Korean
models. Later a reddish clay was used and a thick purplish-brown glaze with a
surface which the Japanese in their descriptions likened to a melon. No signature is
known. This early oven became long since extinct.
Within sixty years an oven was started in Agano, where large bowls of extraordi-
nary lightness were made of a light yellow clay and transparent glaze. Other bowls
were of a harder clay and white glaze. In some is seen an overglaze of robin's-egg-
blue running from the rim or radiating inside from the centre, sometimes alternating
with a rich brown glaze. These pieces are unique in character and unmistakable.
The characters for Agano may be read Ueno and also Kozuke, the name of a
northern province.
1460. Tea-bowl. D. 44^ in. Light brick-red clay, thick reddish-brown glaze strongly
curdled. 1600
Type Ninagawa. Part V., Fig. 25.
1461. Deep cup. H. 2| in. Rim with five slight indentations. Dull light brownish
clay, thick light olive glaze. 1630
1462. Covered vessel. H. 4 in. Thick and heavy. Mythological lion and ball forming
knob for cover. Brownish clay, light warm gray glaze, surface roughened. Slight vertical
impressions. 1650
1463. Bowl. Similar to 1460, though differing in form.
1464. Flower-vase. H. 8| in. Light brownish clay, light olive underglaze, large areas
of light olive and golden-brown overglaze. 1750
1465. Jar. H. 3f in. Thick and heavy. Fine reddish-brown clay, thick light olive glaze
with thick splashes of overglaze of same color. i7S°
1466. Jar, with pottery cover. H. 6^ in. Dull brown clay, thick greenish-yellow glaze
running halfway down from rim in thick drops. Inside, glazed. 1780
1467. Bowl. D. 3I in. Light brick-red clay, coarse white particles intermixed. Rich
chocolate-brown glaze spotted with green and light fawn overglaze. 1800
1468. Shallow bowl. D. sf in. Light yellow clay and glaze, greenish-blue overglaze