What is Kutaniyaki?

Kutaniyaki is a renowned style of porcelain crafted in the vicinity of the cities of Kaga, Kanazawa, Komatsu, and Nomi in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. 

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Distinguishing Features of Kutaniyaki

Kutaniyaki is renowned for its distinctive style, characterized by vivid hues of red, yellow, green, purple, and indigo, collectively known as “Kutani Gosai” (Kutani five colors). Compared to other color-decorated porcelain from other regions such as Aritayaki, Kutaniyaki glazes exhibit a richer depth of color and its painted designs are more powerful.

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Overglaze Painting (絵付)

“Overglaze Painting” is a technique in which a piece of pottery is bisque-fired, then glazed and fired, and a painting is done with pigment paint before being fired again. Because it is fired at a low temperature of 800 degrees, more types of paint can withstand the temperature, allowing for more vibrantly colored paintings.

“Overglaze painting” involves more steps than “underglaze painting”.