Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/326



A commonly received tradition says that an Owari potter, by name Setōsuke, having studied the art of porcelain making at Seto, established a factory at Yokkaichi, in the province of Ise, about the year 1770. From what has been written above, it will be seen that this is impossible, since porcelain was not produced at Seto before the beginning of the nineteenth century. Setōsuke was certainly an Owari expert, and he did settle at Yokkaichi about the time mentioned. But the ware he manufactured was not porcelain. It was faience, having a brownish pâte, covered with diaphanous craquelé glaze, and ornamented with archaic designs in white slip, inlaid after the style of Korea or Yatsushiro (vide Yatsushiro-yaki). Setōsuke produced also other faiences not differing appreciably from those of Owari. At a subsequent period he, or his son of the same name, moved to Yedo, and there manufactured coarse porcelain, decorated with colours over the glaze. The designs were boldly executed, but the ware was only adapted to the rustic tastes of the tea-clubs. The materials were obtained from Owari. Setōsuke worked in Yedo as late as the year 1860.

In former times no serious effort was made to distinguish between the keramic productions of Owari and those of Mino. The wares themselves did not present any features of marked dissimilarity, and moreover the pottery district of Mino being included in the fief of the Owari Princes, its products necessarily passed into the hands of officially licensed