(Tokoname Potter) Yamaaki - Artists ; Akiji Kataoka , Sadamitsu Kataoka , Toshio Kataoka

AKIJI KATAOKA ARTIST NAME SHOUSEN

SADAMITSU KATAOKA ARTIST NAME KOSHOUSEN

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Originally, it was THE potter, Kataoka Akiji his given name, and  Shousen his artist name, . This artist decided to create a business first named " Kataoka . "

A few years later, there is a noborigama manufacture, (A Noborigama 登り窯 chambered climbing kiln is  built on a slope, and each succeeding chamber is situated higher than the one before it. The chambers in a noborigama are pierced at intervals with stoking ports. Such climbing kilns have been used in Japan since the 17th century).  The works that will emerge will be stamped ". " Shousen "or" Kinka 

Still later, after the acquisition of a coal furnace, for the production of ceramic tiles, it will use the name " Saihate no oka

3 years later he changes the status of the business and it is from this point that the works will receive the seal of " Yamaaki ".

One could say that the seal "Yamaaki" just ensures that products leaving the workshop formerly named "Kataoka," have now become the company "Yamaaki".

Otherwise Sadamitsu Kataoka (Son of Akiji - founder of all these companies) is the potter known as Koshousen and Toshio Kataoka (2nd son of Akiji) is the leader of the company Yamaaki. But back to Sadamitsu Kataoka, In Showa 36 (1961), after having graduated from high school in Tokoname from the ceramics section, he joined the SA Yamaaki (Yamaaki seitoujo - literally, factory manufactures ceramic Yamaaki.)and will study under the supervision of his father -. Shousen (Kataoka Akiji) . From Showa 60 (1985) he uses the seal "Koshousen (小松泉)" and still uses it today. In the manufacture of Yamaaki, there are electric ovens and gas ovens most important (bell-shaped) Tokoname, and their use gives an established reputation in firing stabilized products made ​​by hand. Though they manufacture small pots and glazed wares, their main activity is still large clay pots, for which the results of his research in recent years allowed him to copy the grain found in Udei pottery from China and then it was called "Tokoname Udei" - a mixture of earth and Tokoname shisa (purple sandy clay brought from  Gikou City in Jiangsu Province in China) 

   Real Name:Sadamitsu Kataoka Born Showa 18 (1943), 16 February

   Real Name: Kataoka Akiji Born October 20, 1902 and died July 7, 1990.

The Yamaaki Kilns have now closed production

History of Akiji Kataoka

Taishou 6 (1917) graduated from the municipal school of pottery
Taishou 9 (1920), launches independent   production of flowerpots and hibachi (brazier / old-style fireplace Japanese charcoal) under the name of  Kataoka "
Showa 1 (1926) specializes in bonsai pots
Showa 2 (1927), built a noborigama for firing signed or Shousen (松泉) or Kinka (金华)
Showa 25 (1950) begins exporting of bonsai pots
Showa 32 (1957), construction of a coal furnace. Production of porcelain tiles "Saihate no oka (lit. the hill side of the world)." 
Showa 45 ( 1970), production of commemorative pottery kiln fuel for international exposure and expansion of production through a new three electric furnaces. 
Showa 47 (1972), construction of a gas oven. 
Showa 53 (1978), obtaining the certification of traditional craftsman.  Juuoudou Shousen was the oldest residents of Tokoname and he has done it for most all of his life  as a bonsai potter. Officially recorded Heisei 2 ( 1990), July 7, having lived his life fully to the end. He died at the age of 89 years. 
Real Name: Kataoka Akiji Born October 20, 1902 and died July 7, 1990.

(Tokoname Potter) Senkouen - M.Hanno Souhei

  In Showa 34 1959 after graduating from high school ceramics department in Tokoname Hanno Souhei worked as a student researcher in ceramics in various studios.

Specifically, from Showa 36 (1961) and for 1 year after, he studied raw materials and enamel glazes in the experimental engineering laboratory of the National Research Institute of Nagoya. This course will have a significant impact on the way that he will following in the coming years.

  In Showa 52 (1977), he separates the activity of production and wholesale. "Senkouen" becomes the label for sales and Hanno remains the technical leader.

So far, the main production covers items without glazes . These fabrications are small to medium sizes.

Finally, as regards to the pots made ​​by hand, there is the seal " 千交苑"(Senkouen), and sometimes  the seal" 惣平窑"(Four Souhei) is added

Given Name: Hanno Souhei

Born in Showa 15, November 27, 1940

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(Tokoname Potter) Kouyou

Real Name: Aiba Kouichirou
Born in Showa 19 (1944), July 26.

Signatures and chops

In Showa 45 (1970), he opened his first kiln known as "the garden pottery" Kouyou", subsequently, in Showa 47 (1972) he was
presented with an award in the technical section and design during the first organization of the price * Chuza, and he has also won, among other awards, in Showa 56 (1981) the encouragement award at the first competition design, showing that his activity is not focused solely around a bonsai pots  but on pottery in general.

He is mainly known for small bonsai pots and basins, but his art is also recognized for the enamel work which is very extraordinary.
Recently, he built a furnace, like those at the beginning of bonsai pot production, used in combination with wood and oil, and is researching the change in the kiln of clay pottery and Shudei ,Udei.
He says his dream in the future, is that he can appear in exhibitions  of Suiseki Suibans in old German castles.

At this time Kouyou is regarded as one of the top artist producing bonsai pots in the Tokoname region. His unique glazes and attention to detail sets him apart from some of the other potters. Although at this time he is a prolific producer of pots as time progresses we feel that the value of his pots will increase dramatically as production slows.

KOUYOU Mokko shape mottled blue glaze

KOUYOU Drum shape with nail heads cream glaze

KOUYOU Drum shape grey clay nail heads attached

KOUYOU Mokko shape Purple glaze

KOUYOU Flower shape blue speckled glaze

(Tokoname Potter) Hattori Tomoyuki

Hattori-- 服部 RAKKAN HATTORI
Actual name-- Hattori Tomoyuki.
Born 1951 (Showa 26).
He is a graduate of  Germany’s Koblenz University of Applied Sciences’ Institute of
Artistic Ceramics.  While employed at a German company, in 1977 (Showa
52) he embarked on the path of creating bonsai pots.Hattori debuted his
Shohin pots in the national exhibition (Zenkoku Shobachi Meisakuten) in 1980 (Showa 55). He received the  Tokoname City Nagamitsu Ceramic Arts Prize two years in a row, in 1998 and 1999 (Heisei 10-11). Currently, contrary to his background in research, Hattori Tomoyuki is working as an actual simple craftsman. Without the swagger of some artists, he devotes himself to making pots that attractively display the trees while also being suitable for cultivation and ease of use. Hattori pots come in sizes large to small, but his main focus is the glazing of shohin pots in many colors. He doesn’t form his pots using a mold, and while he makes the classic shapes, rectangular, square, hexagonal, elliptical, round and other shapes, the varieties are abundant.  His use of glazes also aims to use as many of the standard colors as possible, but his ceramics have many nooks and crannies in the corners and edges so that the colors change in the kiln. There are many connoisseurs who enjoy these unintentional effects, so they are shipped out as is. Hattori, who shapes, glazes and fires his pots by himself is certainly one of the most prolific of artists. Throughout Japan, he has many admirers and his pots’ superior qualities are spoken of highly. One aspect of Hattor's glaze is the patina that develops very quickly adding even more interest to his pots

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HATTORI    PLUM BLOSSUM SHAPE

HATTORI    PLUM BLOSSUM SHAPE

HATTORI    HEXAGON SHAPE

HATTORI    HEXAGON SHAPE

HATTORI    OVAL SHAPE

HATTORI    RECTANGULAR SHAPE

(Tokoname Potter) Begei ; Hirata Atsumi

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RAKKAN   BEGEI

 Begei-- 美芸   Beautiful Art

Actual name-- Hirata Atsumi-- 平田淳美Born 1939 (Showa 14). In 1958 (Showa 33), he begun the study of ceramics. He taught himself the craft of the potter’s wheel and in 1969 (Showa 44) he began to make unglazed bonsai pots. In 1975(Showa 50), he established his own kiln. Some Begei pots are chuhin, or medium-sized pots, but Begei has an especially high reputation among connoisseurs of shohin bonsai for its shaded shudei (vermilion) shohin pots. (Japanese: 朱泥暈し: shudei bokashi: a vermilion clay that is shaded from light to dark).In recent years, he has made strenuous efforts to add decorative details to his pots, such as sketching  pictures, carving see-through designs and carving figures in relief. Such detail work, if not overdone, adds interesting variations to the pots. However, the most tasteful shohin bonsai pots are of course the ones which best promote the main qualities of the tree. With his knowledge of bonsai, Begei continued to create simple but attractive shohin pots. With the closing of his kiln and retirement the bonsai world has lost one of it's most revered potters and ceramic
artists

BEGEI    SQUARE POT WITH WINDOW

BEGEI    RECTANGULAR POT CUT CORNERS WITH FRAME ATTACHED

BEGEI    OVAL POT WITH INSCRIBED SCENE

BEGEI    HEXAGON POT WITH INSCRIBED SCENE

BEGEI    ROUND POT WITH CARVED OUTER SHELL

BEGEI    BASKET WEAVE POT

(Tokoname Potter) Gyouzan Nakano Yukizou

GYOUZAN         
Artist;  NAKANO Yukizou

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SIGNATURE NAKANO Yukizo

Gyouzan--行山   (MOUNTAIN TRAVEL)
Actual name-- Nakano Yukizou-- 中野行三
(Born 1940-- Showa 15).
Apprenticed under Wada Yoshiyama, he opened an independent kiln in 1972 (Showa 47).
He specialized in colored clay pots, in sizes ranging from small and medium pots up to
extremely large shapes, until he had completed every possible size and shape of pot. He
exhaustively researched the ingredients of clays as well as the methods of ceramic firing,
and worked at reproducing the various clays from Chinese first-crossing pots, including: udei
(black, or crow-colored), toukadei (pink, or peach blossom), kakidei or shidei?? (reddish
brown, or persimmon-colored), shidei (purple), and shudei (vermilion or red). Then, around
1976 (Showa 51), he perfected his own original clay color-- akebono (shodei-- sunrise
color).
At first, he produced pots by firing them in an electric kiln, but starting in 1984 (Showa 59), in
response to a change in the ingredients of Tokoname clays, he had to switch over to a
gas-powered kiln. Moreover, his pot-making methods changed then due to a serious illness
and physical weakness he suffered shortly before switching to a gas kiln. He had been
shaping pots by hand while using a pressing-mold, then firing them in the electric kiln.
Because the larger pressing-molds are extremely heavy, he changed to using a footpedal
and string method, a purer form of the hand-made concept. Even now, far more of his
products are made just by hand, rather than using a mold
Gyouzan pots have an established reputation for both the shape and the quality of the clay
enhancing the beauty of the trees planted in them, and are known for quickly acquiring a
classic patina as they are used. Currently, he is considered among the makers of Tokoname
pots to be the most famous and accomplished top-ranked artist. In 2004 (Heisei 16), a
retrospective of his works was published, entitled Nakano Gyouzan: Splendor. A 35-year
Journey.

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