Porcelain, cherished throughout the world, originated in China, which remained its center of production for centuries. In Japan, porcelain production is said to have begun four centuries ago, in 1616, when a potter from the Korean peninsula, Yi Sam-pyeong, fired porcelains in Japan for the first time in Hizen province (now Saga Prefecture). Hizen porcelains, or Imari ware, as they were called, developed dramatically, with underglaze cobalt, white, celadon, and overglaze enamelled porcelains being produced. By the middle of the seventeenth century, their creations were being exported to Europe as well as enjoyed throughout Japan, and the Hizen kilns continued to flourish throughout the Edo period.
　This exhibition presents an overview of Hizen porcelains from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Its core consists of is a group of porcelains donated to our museum in 1998 by Yamamoto Masayuki, a dedicated collector. The Yamamoto Collection is distinguished by its inclusion of many works treasured in Japan, including, pure, elegant underglaze cobalt wares and small Nabeshima pieces. This exhibition offers, through these beautiful wares, an opportunity to experience works that were a treasured part of Japanese lives in the Edo period.
　This exhibition of Edo-period Hizen wares will be joined by a special exhibit of porcelains by contemporary artists, displayed in the tea houses in the museum’s garden. Please explore it along with the main exhibition as you enjoy the amazing variety and captivating beauty of four centuries of Japanese porcelains.