Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/398

 of Shigaraki-yaki, always valued on account of the conservative qualities of the clay, were brought into special fashion at the beginning of the present century, owing to their use at the Shōgun's Court in Yedo. At present there are several factories in the Nagano district, but their productions are limited to coarse household utensils.

Shigaraki is interesting for another reason. Its clay was largely employed by the potters of Kyōtō, especially those of Kyōmizu. This clay has been analysed by Mr. R. W. Atkinson, and found to consist of the following ingredients:

Near the town of Otsu, in the province of Omi, is a well-known hill called Miidera-yama. There, about the year 1830, a kiln was established for the manufacture of faience, but little is known with regard to the origin of the enterprise. Probably very few pieces were produced, for specimens are now scarcely obtainable. The potters seem to have made polychrome glazes a specialty. It is said that Zengoro Hozen, the great Kyōtō artist, worked for some time at Nagarasan after the destruction of his own house by fire, and that shortly after his departure for Yedo