Satsuma ware

Satsuma ware (薩摩焼 satsuma yaki) is a style of Japanese earthenware originally from the Satsuma region of what is today southern Kyūshū. Today, it can be divided into two distinct categories: the original plain dark clay early Satsuma (ko satsuma 古薩摩) made in Satsuma from around 1600, and the elaborately decorated export Satsuma (京薩摩kyō satsuma) ivory-bodied pieces which began to be produced in the nineteenth century in various Japanese cities. By adapting their gilded polychromatic enamel overglaze designs to appeal to the tastes of western consumers, manufacturers of the latter made Satsuma ware one of the most recognized and profitable export products of the Meiji period.

Early history

The precise origins and early innovations of Satsuma ware are somewhat obscure; however most scholars date its appearance to the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. The Satsuma region was ripe for the development of kilns due to its access to local clay and proximity to the Korean peninsula. In 1597–1598, at the conclusion of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s incursions into Korea, potters were forcefully brought to Japan to kick-start Kyūshū’s non-existent ceramic industry. These potters eventually mainly settled in Naeshirogawa and Tateno, which were to become the hub of the local pottery industry.