Kutani ware

Kutani ware

With a history of 360 years, the secret to the vibrant colors of Kutani ware, a traditional craft of Ishikawa Prefecture, lies not only in its absorption of traditional Chinese compositional methods but also in its unique pattern structure, manifested in the use of floral and border designs, the variability in form, and the contrast between glaze colors and patterns. There are several main forms: one is to directly paint the center and rim of the plate as a whole; another is to use the central motif as the main design, with auxiliary decorations on the rim, such as continuous geometric patterns filled with various flowers, plants, fruits, etc., or directly decorating with patterns from Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain, such as arabesque patterns, cloud patterns, and peony patterns; and finally, to extensively coat the rim with densely layered patterns surrounding the central theme.