Uwa-etsuke: How Overglaze Enamel Painting Works
Uwa-etsuke is the technique of painting with low-firing enamels on the smooth glazed surface of a piece that has already had its main firing, then fixing it in an enamel kiln at 700–800°C.
Because pigments too delicate to survive high heat become available, the freedom of color is overwhelming — red, yellow, green, purple, gold, silver. The showy enamel work of Kutani ware, Kyo ware and Imari all comes from this technique.
It is the counterpart to underglaze painting, and the difference between them comes down to one thing: whether the drawing sits sunk beneath the glaze or rides on top of it.
The third fire
An overglaze piece enters the kiln at least three times: bisque firing first, the main firing that vitrifies the glaze second, and the enamel kiln that fixes the overglaze third.
The third fire is low for the sake of color. Reds, yellows and purples burn away at 1,300°C. At 700–800°C they survive. In exchange, the enamel does not dissolve into the glaze; it sets while sitting on the surface.
That is why a fingertip feels a slight relief. This structure of sitting on top produces both the vividness of overglaze color and its weakness against abrasion.
The main kinds of overglaze work
- gosai and iroe Laying glassy Japanese enamels — red, yellow, green, purple, deep blue — on thickly. Kutani, ko-Imari and the Kakiemon style are the leading examples, producing a glossy relief.
- Gold and silver Drawing with a medium containing real gold or silver and firing it on. It gives a splendid shine and is much used on celebratory pieces and tea utensils.
- akae Painting led by red, expressing strength and elegance through fine line work and gradation.
- Kinrande Layering enamel and gold over sometsuke — the most luxurious style, prized in European court culture.
Making it last
| Handling | Overglaze | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher | Avoid | High heat and pressure fade the enamel |
| Microwave | No for gold or silver | They contain metal and will spark |
| Washing | Soft sponge, neutral detergent | Abrasives and metal scourers cut the enamel |
| Cutlery | Do not slide it across the piece | Metal friction wears the gold first |
It sounds demanding, but the point is single. The enamel sits on the surface, so do not scrub. Keep only that, and the color holds for decades.
Related terms and guides
Related terms
- Shita-etsuke: Underglaze Painting and Why It Never Fades
- Akae: The Red Overglaze Enamel of Kutani and Arita
- Gosai: The Five Colours of Kutani Overglaze Painting
- Ko-Kutani: The Lost 17th-Century Kutani Porcelain
- Sometsuke: Blue and White Porcelain, Explained
- Japanese Pottery Glossary | Terms, Techniques & Kilns
Read further
- Japanese Pottery Patterns: What the Motifs Actually Mean
- Kutani Ware: Japan's Boldest Ceramic Painting
- Arita Ware: Japan's First Porcelain, 400 Years On
- Kyo Ware and Kiyomizu Ware: Kyoto's Refined Ceramics
Look at color riding on the glaze
The slight thickness of enamel a fingertip can feel. Nokaze introduces overglaze-painted pottery together with the person who painted it.
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New to Japanese pottery? Start here — its history, how pottery differs from porcelain, the clays and glazes behind each style, and how to care for a piece. → Japanese Pottery: The Complete Guide