Hagi ware

Hagi ware (萩焼, Hagi-yaki^?) is a type of Japanese pottery traditionally from the town of Hagi, Yamaguchi, in the former Nagato Province.

The origins of Hagi ware can be traced back to the influx of Korean potters to Hagi, a quaint town situated in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the Japan Sea, following its military invasion of the Korean peninsula in the late 16th century. As a result, a large number of Korean craftsmen were abducted and transported to Japan, where they played a crucial role in establishing new pottery types such as Satsuma, Arita, and Hagi ware ("hagi yaki").

The local feudal lord of Hagi area at the time, Terumoto Mouri, had appointed potters in a castle town of Matsumoto (Hagi city in present time) in order to create Hagi wares for his personal tea ceremonies and as gifts. The potters in Matsumoto steadily increased their production so that more kilns were established in Fukagawa territory (Nagato city in present time) during the mid-17th century. However, due to the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the potters employed by the Lord Mouri were dismissed and began to run their own independent businesses. Gradually, more kilns were built outside of Hagi, spreading to the Miyano area of Yamaguchi city and also in other parts of the southwest region of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Thus, the Hagi ware production continued throughout the Edo era.

The tradition of tea ceremonies and tea houses continue to this day in Hagi, which in turn created demand for vessels. Some well-known tea ceremony artists include Koraizaemon Saka Xl and Koraizaemon Saka XlI (高麗左衛門), Sakata Deika XIII (坂田泥華), Tobei Tahara Xll (田原陶兵衛) and Yū Okada (岡田裕). Another expert is Miwako Masaki. A non-Japanese artist is Bertil Persson.

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