Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/423

 daira, lord of Settsu, for the purpose of opening a kiln in the grounds of that nobleman's mansion, in Arakimachi, Koishikawa, Tōkyō. On the abolition of feudalism (1867), the two potters moved to Takata. Eight years later, Inouye Ryōsai, as has been stated above, constructed a porcelain kiln on his own account at Hashiba. The Takata factory was at first employed in producing imitation Satsuma faience, but this occupation proving unprofitable, Takemoto turned his attention to the manufacture of special glazes, which will be spoken of in the section relating to modern developments of keramics.

At present Tōkyō boasts a lady keramist whose works deservedly attract attention. Hattori Tsuna, or Kōren as she is commonly called, is the wife of an official of some rank, so that her pursuit of the potter's art is chiefly a labour of love. She does not use glaze or coloured decoration of any kind, but depends entirely on plastic skill. At first sight her statuettes and other quaintly modelled pieces might easily be mistaken for wood-carvings, and indeed there is little doubt that they are designed with this intention, for the unglazed clay of which they are made is stained to a dark-brown tint, and the surface is often pitted or grained. The ware itself does not possess any great merit, but that is perhaps ascribable to the faulty nature of the materials furnished by Tōkyō rather than to any want of skill on the part of the manipulator. Most of Kōren's productions find their way to America, being exported by a large trading