Before the advent of 20th-century brand-name designers such as Kenzo, Miyake or Mori, there was Kenzan of Kyoto -- back in the Edo Period that is. His instantly recognizable signature was not found on any trendy kimono or handbag of the day, however, but on clay vessels.
Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743), his predecessor Nonomura Ninsei and his successor Aoki Mokubei (1767-1833) are known as "The Three Great Masters" of Kyo-yaki (Kyoto pottery). Kyoto is also famous for its Raku earthenware tea wares that date back 15 generations to their first creator, the legendary Chojiro (?-1589). Together, Raku and Kyo-yaki tea wares are cornerstones of Japan's ceramic heritage.
It's not often that a single exhibition offers a detailed look at the beauty of both Kyo-yaki and Raku-yaki, but the Idemitsu Museum in Tokyo is currently offering a glimpse into the fashionable Kyoto ceramic world of centuries ago in "Kyoto Kiln Ceramics for Tea Ceremony -- Ninsei and Kenzan from the Idemitsu Collection."
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