Ko-kutani Ware
Kutani ware porcelain is distinguished by its bold overglaze enamel decorations in a palette of five colors called the kutani gosai: green, yellow, purple, navy blue, and red.
The history of Kutani ware is divided into two distinct periods. Ko-kutani (“old Kutani”) refers to porcelain produced from approximately 1655 to the end of the seventeenth century. Ko-kutani ware was created at a kiln under the patronage of the ruling Maeda family. After the kiln ceased production, there was a hiatus of around a century before Kutani ware was revived. Pieces produced after this gap are called saiko-kutani, or “revival Kutani.”
Ko-kutani styles are now loosely divided into two groups. The “colored” (iro-e) style uses all five colors, which is why it is sometimes also referred to as the “five-color style” (gosaite). Iro-e designs leave some of the white field of the base porcelain visible. In contrast, “blue style” (aote) excludes red and uses just two or three of the other colors in designs that often completely cover the surface of the porcelain. Intricately patterned yellow backgrounds are particularly characteristic of aote pieces.
Given the limited scale and production period of the original kiln, relatively few examples of true ko-kutani ware remain. However, thanks to the influence the style had on later potters, its coloration and motifs remain a vital part of the Ishikawa ceramic tradition.