Japanese Ceramics Terminology

Glossary of Japanese Ceramics Terminology

• Agano: Japanese ceramic ware produced in Fukuchiyama on the island of Kyushu (southern Japan, present-day Fukuoka Prefecture); begun by Korean potters in late 16th to early 17th centuries; easily confused with Karatsu ware; see "Takatori"
• ame: amber glaze
• anagama: sloping tunnel kiln; imported from China, first used in Japan around fifth century
• Arita: Japanese porcelain ware produced in Arita on the island of Kyushu (southern Japan, present-day Saga Prefecture); location of discovery of first porcelain deposit in Japan, by Korean potters in 17th century; center of the porcelain industry in Japan
• Asahi: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in the city of Uji, south of Kyoto; originated in late 16th to early 17th centuries
• Bizen: Japanese unglazed, high-fired ceramic ware produced in the city of Bizen (town of Imbe, present-day Okayama Prefecture); known for long firings in climbing kilns, with resulting heavy ash deposits and other effects; originated in 12th century
• cha: tea
• chadamari: "tea pool" in the bottom of a tea bowl
• chadô: the way of tea
• chaire: tea caddy; small container used to hold powdered tea (matcha)
• chanoyu: the tea ceremony
• chatô: tea ceramics
• Chawan (literally tea bowl): a small to medium sized bowl used for drinking hot tea (usually powdered green tea or “matcha”). Historically, shapes were limited to the following forms: conical (like temmoku tea bowls imported to Japan from China, and their Japanese reproductions); half-cylindrical (the vertical walls are not as tall as the bowl’s diameter); and cylindrical (the vertical walls are taller than the diameter of the bowl).
• Echizen: Japanese unglazed, high-fired ceramic ware produced in Echizen domain (present-day Fukui Prefecture), influenced by the Sue wares of the Heian Period (794-1192)
• fude: brush
• gosu: natural cobalt, or asbolite 
• Guinomi (literally one gulp): Sake cup, a small cup, often wide with a narrow base, used exclusively for drinking sake. Sometimes imitates the shape of a tea bowl.
• Hagi: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in Hagi in southwestern Japan (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture); famous for milky, white-glazed teawares; originated in late 16th to early 17th centuries with Korean potters
• hakeme: slip brushing
• hanaire: flower vase
• haniwa: ceramic figurines produced during the 4th to 7th centuries, C.E.; these figurines marked the surface of above-ground tombs; see "kofun"
• hebigama: snake kiln (also called "jagama")
• Hizen: broad term for Japanese ceramics and porcelains produced in the Hizen domain on the island of Kyushu (present-day Nagasaki and Saga Prefectures) during the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868)
• Iga: Japanese unglazed, high-fired ceramic ware produced in the Iga domain (present-day Mie Prefecture) beginning in the 16th century
• ikebana: flower arranging
• Imari: Japanese porcelain wares produced in Arita, named "Imari" after the port from which they were shipped to other Japanese cities, Southeast Asia, and Europe during the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868); see "Arita" and "Hizen"
• jiki: porcelain
• Jômon: coil/slab-built, cord-marked, low-fired ceramic wares of prehistoric Japan; first made on Japanese archipelago around 10,000 years ago
• Karatsu: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in Karatsu and surrounding areas on the island of Kyushu (southern Japan, present-day Saga and Nagasaki Prefectures); originated in 16th century with Korean potters
• Kenzan: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced largely in Kyoto; founded by Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743) a poet, painter, calligrapher, and potter who specialized in elegant brushwork on ceramic forms; see "Kyôyaki"
• ke-rokuro: kick wheel
• ki-seto: "yellow seto"; Japanese high-fired ceramic ware; glaze is yellowish in color, perhaps began as an attempt to produce celadon glaze; originated in 16th century; see "seto"
• ko: "old," "historical." Used as a prefix, as in Kogaratsu (old Karatsu ware), Koseto (old Seto ware) Koimari (old Imari ware), and so on.
• Koishiwara: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in Koishiwara on the island of Kyushu (southern Japan, present-day Fukuoka Prefecture); originated in Agano wares and Takatori wares in 17th century; see "Agano," Takatori," and "Onta"
• Kutani: Japanese porcelain ware produced in the Kaga domain (present day Ishikawa Prefecture) beginning in the 17th century
• Kyôyaki: "Kyoto ceramics"; Japanese high-fired and porcelain wares produced in Kyoto; originated in 17th century; see "Kenzan"
• maki: firewood, pieces of wood
• Mashiko: name of a town outside of Tokyo that has become famous as a folk-craft village, pottery community, and home of Hamada Shoji,
• matcha: powdered green tea for the tea ceremony; see "sencha"
• Matchawan (bowl for powdered tea): The term “chawan” almost always refers to a tea bowl to be used to consume powdered green tea or “matcha,” so I have always found the term “matchawan” to be highly redundant.
• mingei: folk craft or folk art; the Folk Craft Movement (Mingei undô) was started by Yanagi Sôetsu (1889-1961; also Yanagi Muneyoshi)
• Mino: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in the Seto and Mino domains (Gifu Prefecture); famous for production of shino, yellow seto, black seto, and oribe; originated in late 16th century
• mishima: slip inlay
• mizusashi: water jar; a lidded fresh water container used in the tea ceremony
• neriage: patterned loaves of colored clays
• nerikomi: marbling with colored clays
• noborigama: multichambered climbing kiln; appropriated from Korea or China in early seventeenth century
• ôgama: "great kiln"; wide, sloped, single-chamber kiln with side door; originated in Seto/Mino region in early 16th century
• Ôhi: Japanese low-fired ceramic ware produced in Ôhi, near Kanazawa, in the Kaga domain (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture) by the Ôhi family; founded in 1666 by the potter Chôzaemon, a worker in the Raku workshop in Kyoto; wares (mostly tea bowls and other tea ceramics) are similar to those produced by the Raku family, but are famous for their amber (ame) glaze
• Onta: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in the town of Onta on the island of Kyushu (southern Japan, present-day Fukuoka Prefecture); origins in Agano wares and Takatori wares in 17th century; see "Koishiwara"
• oribe: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware; this term (named after the tea master and warrior, Furuta Oribe, 1545-1615) has come to be applied to a wide range of ceramics; general characteristics include rectangular and circular shapes, use of clear glaze, white slip, underglaze brush work, and a dark green copper glaze; originated around 1600; see "seto"
• Raku: Japanese low-fired ceramic ware produced in Kyoto by the Raku family; famous for tea bowls and food dishes for use in the tea ceremony; originated in the late 16th century; this term also applies to wares made by a wide variety of amateur and professional potters in the tea community
• rokuro: wheel (for making pots); see kerokuro and terokuro
• sake: a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice; this term also refers to alcoholic beverages in general
• Sanage: a Japanese ash-glazed, high-fired ceramic ware produced in Sanage, Aichi Prefecture; inspired by Chinese celadons; originated around the 9th century; see "Tokoname"
• sansai: three-color ware; originated in China around the 8th century, A.D.
• sara: plate
• Satsuma: a Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in southern Kyushu (southern Japan); originated in 17th century with Korean potters
• seiji: celadon; loosely refers to a wide range of blue and green feldspathic glazed wares; originated in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1270), and spread throughout East and Southeast Asia
• sencha: steeped tea (as opposed to the powdered tea of the tea ceremony); see "matcha"
• Senchawan (bowl for steeped tea): Chinese literati-style steeped tea drinking became very popular in Japan in the 18th century and continues to have a small following in contemporary Japan. To learn more about Sencha, see Pat Graham’s book Tea of the Sages: The Art of Sencha.
• Seto: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in the Seto and Mino domains (Gifu Prefecture); famous for production of shino, yellow seto, black seto, and oribe; originated in late 16th century
• seto-guro: black seto; Japanese high-fired ceramic ware; Japan's first truly black glaze, made when iron glazed pots were removed when red-hot; originated in late 16th century; see "seto"
• Shigaraki: Japanese high-fired, unglazed ceramic ware produced in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture; famous for ash deposits and distinctive forms; originated around 12th century, spread from Tokoname and Atsumi
• shino: Japanese high-fired ceramic ware produced in the Seto and Mino domains (Gifu prefecture); consists of a white, secondary clay body covered by a milky-translucent ash/feldspar glaze; the term eshino (picture shino) indicates wares with iron-oxide designs applied under the shino glaze; nezumi shino (grey shino) indicates wares with designs carved into an iron slip, with the entire piece covered in the shino glaze.
• Sueki: high-fired ceramic ware produced in Japan by potters who immigrated from Korea (and possibly China?); originated around the 4th century, B.C.; led to the spread of high-fired ceramic production throughout Japan; early wares were not glazed, but blackened; later glaze technology arrived from Tang China, leading to the use of lead-based glazes on low-fire wares, and feldspar-based glazes on high-fire wares
• sûyaki: bisque firing
• Takatori: Japanese ceramic ware produced in Chikuzen domain on the island of Kyushu (southern Japan, present-day Fukuoka Prefecture); begun by Korean potters in late 16th to early 17th centuries; see "Agano"
• takebai: bamboo ash
• Tamba: Japanese ceramic ware
• temmoku: Japanese term for a type of tea bowl produced in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279); known for a variety of black, brown, tan, and blue glazes, and a distinctive shape with a flaring mouth and narrow base; these tea bowls were also produced in Japan beginning in the Kamakura Period (1192-1336)
• teppôgama: rifle kiln
• te-rokuro: hand wheel
• tôgei: ceramic arts
• tôji: ceramics, clay
• tôjiki: ceramics (literally ceramic and porcelain objects; see also jiki)
• tôki: ceramics (specifically, ceramic objects)
• tokkuri: bottle, flask: usually used to hold sake
• Tokoname: a Japanese high-fired, ash-glazed ceramic ware produced in the region of Sanage, (present-day Aichi Prefecture); inspired by Chinese celadons; originated around the 9th century; see Sanage and Atsumi
• tsubo: storage jar
• yakimono: pottery
• Yayoi: low-fired ceramic wares made on the Japanese archipelago during the period ca 300 B.C.E. to ca 300 C.E.; differentiated from Jômon ceramics on the basis of a finer-grained clay body, a smooth, thin, symmetrical, and less ornamented style, the aesthetic influence of cast metal, and the appearance of gendered production patterns
• Yunomi (literally “[for] drinking hot water”): tea cup, usually taller than wide and smaller in diameter than the smallest of tea bowls. Often mistakenly called “tea bowl” by Westerners..