Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/174

 of keramic decorators who reside at the Open Ports, and there, receiving from the provinces consignments of plain white faience and porcelain, embellish them with paintings of all kinds, the main object in every case being profusion of ornament and brilliancy of effect. These artists not infrequently put their seal or name upon a vase which has passed through their hands.

So far, in speaking of the Satsuma craquelé faience, mention has been made only of pure white and of enamelled wares. But these were by no means the limit of the potter's productions. His range was large. Among the most beautiful but least known of his pieces were yellow and apple-green monochromes. Sometimes a specimen is splashed with red showing metallic lustre, and sometimes a cup might easily be mistaken for Delft ware. Again, though more rarely, the collector is surprised by pieces of Satsuma faience decorated with blue sous couverte.

The reader will have observed that the special order given by the Prince of Satsuma for the manufacture of enamelled faience at the close of the eighteenth century, was addressed to the potters of Tadeno. It does not appear that faience of this description was produced at the Nawashiro-gawa factory until about 1840. At that time one of the most distinguished workmen was Boku Seiki. His son, Seikuan, had long been ambitious to develop the decorative methods of the factory. The matter having been brought to the notice of the superintending officials, a special section was created for the purpose, and two experts were procured from Tadeno. Under their instruction Seikuan acquired such skill that, in 1844, he was appointed superintendent of the Nishiki-de (brocade