Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/429

 early as the sixth century. Not, however, until the time when the Taikō's influence imparted so much activity to the art-industries of Japan did the ware assume any features worthy of note. Pieces after the fashion of the rude faience of Korea then made their appearance. The workshop—which was at a place called Onohara—was brought into some notice by peculiar faience having reddish pâte and blisters on its surface, supposed to resemble an imported ware attributed to Siam. In general, however, the Tamba potters of those days took the Seto-yaki as their model. Among their tea-jars, cups, and water-vessels, specimens with very hard, reddish brown pâte, and chocolate, black, or mahogany-coloured glazes occasionally showing yellow mottling, are most frequently met with. An inferior sage-green glaze was also produced. About the middle of the seventeenth century the factory was moved to a place called Tachikui, and from that time its productions were known as Tachikui-yaki. They have but little interest for Western collectors, though occasionally the splashed glazes are not without attractions. The first workman of Tamba who distinguished himself by the production of good faience is said to have been a man named Kichizo.

Early in the present century, under the auspices of Kutsuki, feudal chief of the district, a factory established at Sasayama, also in the province of Tamba, began to turn out pieces of greatly improved description. The pâte, light grey in colour, was carefully manipulated, and the decoration—sometimes applied