Miyagawa Kozan (original name Miyagawa Toranosuke, 1842-1916), a leading potter of the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) periods, was born in Makuzugahara in Kyoto (the present-day Maruyama Park region in Higashiyama Ward) to a potter’s family in 1842. He learned pottery from his father since his childhood and in 1860 he took over as the head of the family.
Kozan’s turning point arrived in 1870. He left Kyoto for Yokohama, the city of civilization and enlightenment. During this time, the Meiji government was paying special attention to the development of modern industry and it encouraged the exportation of various Japanese crafts, including ceramics, considering it as one of the strategies to acquire foreign currency. Kozan thus strove to create a new kind of art which met the taste of the Western countries. His most significant achievement was the development of a new decorative technique called taka-ukibori (sculptural relief), in which he decorated the surface of the ware with realistic, three-dimensional high reliefs and sculptures. It produced a world so meticulous and original that it could overturn the common concept of decoration on Japanese ceramics.
Since around the 1780s, Kozan began to study glazes as well as the technique of underglaze decoration and produced wares using various decorative techniques. He emulated Chinese Qing porcelain and it was around this time that his major works shifted to porcelain from other clay works. In 1896, Kozan was appointed as Artist to the Imperial Household, the second artist to be appointed in the field of ceramics, and his works, known as “Makuzu-yaki (Makuzu ware)”, won world-wide acclaim. The popularity can be surmised from the fact that world-renowned museums, including the British Museum, have Kozan’s works in their collections.
Commemorating the centennial anniversary after his death in 2016, this exhibition introduces the overall aspect of Miyagawa Kozan, the transcendent genius, along with his fascinating works. Most of the displayed works were selected from the Tetsundo Tanabe collection. Mr. Tanabe has long been studying Kozan while collecting his works which have been scattered all over the world. We are grateful to have this opportunity to show the variegated works of Kozan all at once. Please enjoy the powerful effect of the taka-ukibori decoration as well as the mesmerizing translucency and grace of the celadons and wares with underglaze decoration.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Tetsundo Tanabe for his cooperation as well as to the individuals and organizations for generously lending their precious works in order to make this exhibition possible.