Toki, a small town in Gifu Prefecture, 37 km from Nagoya, sits above a huge clay basin. Pottery has been made here since ancient times.
The world-famous Oribe style, which uses green copper glaze and bold painted designs was invented in Gifu more than 400 years ago. Then the province was called Mino and it supplied the whole of Japan with sake flasks, bottles, jars, dishes, bowls, cups, plates, teapots, vases, incense burners, inkstones, water droppers, tea ceremony implements and smoking paraphernalia.
Mino pottery, known as Minoyaki has four main types: Oribe; Shino, which has a milky white to orange glaze, sometimes with charcoal grey spotting; the yellow Ki-seto and the black Kuro-seto.
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