Japanese Pottery Glossary

A hand mixing vermilion overglaze enamel on a glass slab at a workshop desk, white round bowls carrying only outline drawing lined up on the shelf behind

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...

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...

An overglaze small plate on an old wooden table seen from directly above, red, green and gold enamels layered over indigo underglaze panels with a floral roundel at the centre

Akae: The Red Overglaze Enamel of Kutani and Arita

Akae is the general term for overglaze painting led by red.

Akae: The Red Overglaze Enamel of Kutani and Arita

Akae is the general term for overglaze painting led by red.

Close view of deep blue celadon pieces, fine crazing running in a net across the whole surface with the glaze thinning to pale blue only at the centre of the well

Celadon (Seiji): The Blue-Green Glaze of Iron a...

Celadon, or seiji, is pottery in which an iron-bearing glaze is applied to the body and fired high in reduction — with the kiln's oxygen restricted — to bring out...

Celadon (Seiji): The Blue-Green Glaze of Iron a...

Celadon, or seiji, is pottery in which an iron-bearing glaze is applied to the body and fired high in reduction — with the kiln's oxygen restricted — to bring out...

Two oval Ki-Seto plates on a white ground, red-brown specks scattered across the pale yellow with iron-painted lines and deep green tanpan blotches

Ki-Seto: The Yellow Glaze With Green Bleeding T...

Ki-Seto is pottery born in the Mino region in the Momoyama period of the 16th century.

Ki-Seto: The Yellow Glaze With Green Bleeding T...

Ki-Seto is pottery born in the Mino region in the Momoyama period of the 16th century.

A set of Oribe pieces on an old wooden table: a deep copper-green teapot and bowl, a white-ground dish left with iron painting, and long plates split between green and white

Oribe Ware: The Green Glaze That Broke the Rules

Oribe is the style of pottery born in the Mino region in the Momoyama period, from the late 16th into the early 17th century.

Oribe Ware: The Green Glaze That Broke the Rules

Oribe is the style of pottery born in the Mino region in the Momoyama period, from the late 16th into the early 17th century.

A bowl in grey-white glaze with black horizontal banding seen from the side, a low trimmed foot ring standing clearly at its base

Kodai (Foot Ring): The Part Collectors Check First

The kodai is the ring-shaped foot on the underside of a piece.

Kodai (Foot Ring): The Part Collectors Check First

The kodai is the ring-shaped foot on the underside of a piece.