The body of this work was made by Fujioka Iwahana-do kiln in Kanazawa, using the kiln inherited from the Ishikawa Prefectural Laboratory and the technique of making the body. This kiln supplied pure white and smoothly finished body and also painted on that body.

size : diameter about13.2cm  height about 2.4cm

Colorful round patterns in five paints are drawn on the smooth surface, so the white body and the colored paintings are standing out. This kiln also produced aka-e, so this kiln was unique in Kanazawa kutani.

This work has some points that show that Iwahana-do kiln received a good reputation in the making of the body. The edge of plate is turned over by 3 mm, and long dents are regularly carved diagonally, so these plates are elaborately molded. It is believed that this molding was possible because Matsuda Yohachiro (松田与八郎) introduced the plaster mold usage to the Ishikawa Prefectural Laboratory, and after passed on the usage to this kiln.

The back name also has its own features. “福fuke in double square” is written as the back name, and the writing of “made by 金城岩花Kinjo Iwahana-zo” is on the back of the lid of the wooden box, along with the stamp of “金城岩花kinjo Iwahana”. The back name and also five colored paintings seems to mean that the kiln wished to express its longing for ko-kutani (古九谷) made in the early Edo period. Ao-kutani was another feature of Meiji kutani.

creator of the work

Fujioka Iwahana- do kiln 藤岡岩花堂　 1880-1897

In 1880 Fujioka Iwahana-do kiln was opened by Fujioka Sotojiro (藤岡外次郎) who inherited the body kiln and pottery technology from the Ishikawa Prefectural Laboratory. After that, the kiln became a kiln for producing white porcelain, colored porcelain, and aka-e and gold.

In this kiln, Matsuda Yohachiro (松田与八郎) was　engaged in making body until 1883, and also Wazawa Ganzan (和沢含山) until 1893, so this kiln produced a high quality of body. And Kotera Chinzan (小寺椿山) was engaged as a director of painting factory, and Sasada Yuzan (笹田友山), Shimizu Seikan (清水清閑), Tomoda Kyukei (友田九径), Akiyama Komajiro (秋山駒次郎) and other master craftsmen were engaged, so this kiln made gorgeous excellent works.