Black diamond shape Mino ware ceramic Saucers for Medium kokedama. 天目足付かわら皿 美濃焼 Size 10" x 8" x 2" deep.
Mino ware (called Mino yaki in Japanese) is a ceramic ware produced in the Tono area of Gifu prefecture. It has a long history and tradition but has adapted to modern life style. A notable feature of Mino ware is its wide variety of pottery. Mino ware does not maintain a single style, but instead has over 15 types of pottery registered as traditional crafts. Here are three notable types of Mino ware. The first is Oribe ware which was based on the aesthetics of Oribe FURUTA, disciple of Sen no Rikyu (influential master of the tea ceremony, 1522-1591) and it has a deep green glaze, a unique form and geometrical design patterns. Depending on the style of production, many kinds of colors are available including black and blue. The next notable type of Mino ware is Setoguro, an all black glazed item that was mainly produced during the Tensho period (1573-1593), produced by being pulled out of the kiln while still red-hot. Therefore it is often referred to with the names of tensho guro after the name of the period it was first made during or hikidashi guro which means to pull out. Shino ware is the third notable type of Mino ware and has design patterns underneath its glaze. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1600), Shino ware's golden age, it possessed a beautiful light crimson color and bubbly texture produced by feldspar glaze. Production of Shino ware disappeared during the Edo period (1603-1868) but Toyozo ARAKAWA (1894-1985), who was given the title of Living National Treasure, made tremendous efforts to revive it and was able to bring it back. Kizeto, which has lately received renewed attention, is another popular kind of Mino ware with a humble and simple form.
