Exhibit Room 1: History of Arita Ware
The History of Arita Porcelain exhibit provides basic information about porcelain produced in Hizen Province (modern-day Saga and Nagasaki Prefectures), covering production techniques, domestic distribution, and foreign trade in Hizen over the past four centuries.
Among the various styles of Hizen ware, the exhibit focuses on the history of Arita ware: its development after the discovery of its pottery stone deposit, the flourishing of domestic trade and exports of Arita ware, and its role in people’s daily lives. Room 1 also contains the 101 items of the Kanbara Collection, featuring Arita ware that was exported to Europe.
Exhibit Room 2: Mr. and Mrs. Shibata Collection
The Mr. and Mrs. Shibata Collection includes approximately 10,000 pieces of Arita ware from the Edo period (1603–1867) that were donated in the 1990s and early 2000s. Approximately 1,000 pieces of the collection are displayed on a yearly rotation. Selected works from each stage in the history of Arita ware illustrate the way fashions changed and production techniques evolved. The collection is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.
Exhibit Room 3: Old Ceramics of Kyushu
The Old Ceramics exhibit features approximately 100 pieces from the Edo period (1603–1867) each year. The pieces are divided by geographic region based on the modern prefectures of Kyushu (Saga, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima), and Okinawa. The exhibit features primarily Karatsu ware, Japan’s first porcelains (now known as Early Imari or shoki imari in Japanese), as well as subsequent Arita ware styles including the Kakiemon and kinrande styles. Ceramics produced at famous kilns in each prefecture illustrate Kyushu’s rich regional ceramic diversity.
Exhibit Room 4: Contemporary Kyushu Ceramics
The creative and innovative works displayed in the Contemporary Ceramics exhibit represent the historically diverse uses of ceramics in Kyushu. Representing a variety of pottery techniques from traditional to avant-garde, works by approximately 100 artists from around Kyushu are displayed in yearly rotation. Most of the pieces are by artists who belong to prominent traditional craft and art organizations, including Nitten and the Japan Kōgei Association.