, also known as or is a form of

Japanese pottery is one of the oldest Japanese crafts and Japanese art, art forms, dating back to the Neolithic period. Types have included earthenware, pottery, stoneware, porcelain, and Blue and white porcelain, blue-and-white ware. Japan has an exception ...

traditionally from the Hamadōri area of

Fukushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...

, in the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

History

The production of Ōborisōma ware began during the

Genroku was a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. The Genroku period spanned the years from September 1688 to March 1704. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 415. The period was known for its peace and ...

era (1688–1704) when suitable clays were found in what is now the town of Namie, Fukushima, which was used to make everyday utility items. Although the pottery came to the attention of the

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

of Sōma Nakamura Domain, who encouraged production and lent the Sōma clan crest to choice examples, the pottery remained largely for common usage, and by the end of the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

there were over 100 kilns in the area. However, production rapidly declined after the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

with the industrialisation of Japan and the increasing prevalence of mass produced pottery for everyday use. Production was only revived after the end of World War II and in 1978, Ōborisōma ware was designated as one of the national objects of traditional craftsmanship. The

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which r ...

in March 2011 severely affected this industry, as the village, located only 10 km away from the nuclear powerplants, was heavily polluted by radioactive material, and all craftsmen had to leave their workshops. A new workshop opened at

Nihonmatsu, Fukushima is a Cities of Japan, city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 54,013 in 20,179 households, and a population density of 160 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . The Adachi neighborhood of Nihon ...

; however, the traditional sources of clay and

ceramic glaze Ceramic glaze, or simply glaze, is a glassy coating on ceramics. It is used for decoration, to ensure the item is impermeable to liquids and to minimize the adherence of pollutants. Glazing renders earthenware impermeable to water, sealing th ...

are within the Fukushima exclusion zone and are now inaccessible.

Characteristics

It is characterized by its green color and blue cracks on the surface. Much of it is multi-layered. Because the ''ma'' in ''sōma'' means "horse", calligraphic horses are painted on many pieces, often as a stylized horse painted in metallic gold. A very rare character of Sōma ware is its multi-layered structure. The dual layering of the pottery insulates the hot liquids to keep them hot and keeps the outside cool, so one doesn't burn one's hands.

External links

Ōporisōmayaki kyōdō kumiai

Ohori Soma ware
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oborisoma ware Japanese pottery Culture in Fukushima Prefecture

History

Characteristics

See also

External links