Page 244 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

ifo THE CATALOGUE

PROVINCE OF AKI

The pottery of this province has never attained any celebrity among
connoisseurs. No records have been met with in Japanese books or manu-
scripts respecting its potters. The few notes here presented concerning
the pottery of this province were obtained by me from antiquarians at
Hiroshima and from a learned priest at the temple of Miyajima.

MIYAJIMA (Case 17)
In 1830 a potter named Keisai Fujiya built an oven at Ebamura, near Hiroshima,
and made wine and tea cups, which were sold as souvenirs at Miyajima. The pieces
were signed Miyajima, or Miyajima yaki, and rarely with the crest of the temple of
Miyajima. The objects were usually decorated (overglaze) with a tori-i, bridge, or
with flowers. The clay, which was loose, and light red or yellow in color, was
brought from Mito Konoura, about seven miles west from Miyajima, and mixed with
other clay in certain proportions. The potter and his pupils continued to work
for ten years. Another oven, baking similar pottery, was situated at Takeyacho,
Hiroshima. Of this oven but little was known. Shallow plates, resembling Akatsu,
Oribe, and others closely resembling certain light yellow pottery made by Fujimi, of
Nagoya, are sold as souvenirs at Miyajima. They bear the written mark Miyajima sei,
yet I am inclined to believe that they were made by Fujimi, in Nagoya.
1926. Shallow tea-bowl. D. 5J in. Light reddish clay, glistening greenish glaze,
mottled with yellow spots and streaks of brown. Miyajima yaki,
and crest of the deity of the temple of Miyajima (imp.). 1840
I927' Tea-bowl. D. 4J in. Light reddish clay, glistening trans-
parent glaze with greenish tinges. Tori-i and characters in dark
brown. Mijajima yaki, and crest of the deity of the temple of
Miyajima (imp.). 1840
1928. Tea-bowl. D. 3I in. Light reddish clay, deep reddish glaze. Tori-i in brown.
Miyajima yaki (imp.). 1840
1929. Tea-bowl. D. 4J in. Light reddish clay, glistening green glaze, mottled
with yellow. Tori-i in brown. Miyajima yaki (imp.). 1840
1930. Shallow tea-bowl. D. 5J in. Fine yellowish clay, yellowish glaze. Sur-
face rough. Inside, tori-i in dark brown. Bottom with deep spiral mark. Un-
signed. i860
I93^- Wine-cup. D. 2| in. Fine yellowish-white clay, transparent glaze with greenish
tinges. Inside, landscape in brown. Miyajima yaki (\mY>.). i860
1932. Tea-cup. D. 2-j^ in. Fine light yellowish clay, transparent glaze. Landscape in
brown, red, and green. Strongly iridescent inside. Miyajima yaki (\m^.). i860
1933' Shallow plate. D. 4-fV in. Hard light yellowish clay, yellowish glaze, thick
splash of green overglaze. Decoration of curtain in dark brown.
Miyajima sei (written in brown). 1870