輪島塗
輪島塗の大きな特徴として、輪島の地の粉が使用されているということです。地の粉とは輪島付近の小峰山から出る粘土を焼いて作ったもので、それを輪島塗の下地に用いることで輪島塗が丈夫だといわれる大きな要素の一つとなっています。その他に、木地の外側や損傷しやすい箇所に漆で麻布を貼る布着せの技法も輪島塗ならではの工程です。
特に、輪島塗は他産地には類を見ない丁寧な塗りが魅力のひとつで、塗り上げるまでに20工程以上、総手数では75～124回にも及ぶ丁寧な手作業で作られています。手間もコストもかかる本堅地で統一したことでブランドとしての価値を高め、安価に作ることに重きを置かず技術を守ってきたのが輪島塗の特徴です。
また、輪島塗の優美さは塗面の美しさとそこに施された加飾によって創り上げられています。加飾では特に、沈金（ちんきん）技法は輪島で完成したといわれ、多くの名工を育ててきました。輪島塗の人間国宝には、輪島市出身の前大峰（まえたいほう）さんや、漆芸家の小森邦衞（こもりくにえ）さん、沈金師の山岸 一男（やまぎしかずお）さんがいらっしゃいます。
このように、輪島塗は堅牢な塗りと加飾の優美さを特徴とし、日本を代表する漆器として高く評価され、1975（昭和50）年には、通商産業省（現:経済産業省）の伝統的工芸品に指定され、さらに1977昭和52年4月25日には国の重要無形文化財に指定されました。
Wajima lacquer
One of the major characteristics of Wajima-nuri is the use of Wajima jinoko (clay powder). Jiko is made by baking clay from Mt. Kobine near Wajima, and its use as the base of Wajima-nuri is one of the major factors that make Wajima-nuri durable. Another technique that is unique to Wajima-nuri is the “nunokise” process, in which hemp cloth is applied with lacquer to the outside of the wood or to areas that are vulnerable to damage.
Wajima-nuri is especially attractive because of its meticulous lacquering process, which is unparalleled in other areas of Japan, and requires more than 20 processes and 75 to 124 total hands-on operations to complete. Wajima-nuri is characterized by the fact that it has enhanced its value as a brand by unifying the use of Hon-kenji, which is both labor-intensive and costly, and has preserved the technique without placing emphasis on making it inexpensively.
The elegance of Wajima-nuri is created by the beauty of the lacquered surface and the decoration applied to it. Especially, the chinkin technique is said to have been perfected in Wajima, and many master craftsmen have been trained in Wajima. Living national treasures of Wajima-nuri include Mae Taiyoho, a native of Wajima City, Kunie Komori, a lacquer craftsman, and Kazuo Yamagishi, a chinkin master.
Wajima-nuri is characterized by its robust lacquering and graceful decoration, and is highly regarded as one of Japan’s representative lacquerware.
輪島塗の産地となっているのは石川県輪島市です。日本海にせり出た能登半島の北西部に当たり、人口は約3万人足らずの小さな町で、輪島塗によって全国にその名を知られるようになりました。また、輪島塗のほかには輪島の朝市や御陣乗太鼓、千枚田が全国的に有名です。
「輪島」という文字が歴史に登場するのは、室町時代（1393～1572）の中頃です。紀州の根来寺（ねごろじ）の寺僧が輪島重蓮寺（じゅうれんじ）に来て、同寺の家具類を製造し漆工技術を伝来したという説や、土地の人が根来に行き技術を伝習して返ってきたという説があるそうです。
堅牢な下地技術が徐々に確立され、能登の名物として輪島塗が人々に知られるようになったのは江戸時代に入ってからのことです。輪島塗の基本は朱や黒の漆塗りでしたが、明治2年（1872）に尾張から来た蒔絵師の飯田善七の元で、多くの蒔絵師が生まれました。そして、明治時代中期から大正時代に、輪島塗と言えば沈金や蒔絵による豪華な加飾というイメージが定着しました。
輪島塗の販売は塗師屋が商品見本を背負い、全国各地を行商して回ることで販路を拡大していきました。 特に、18世紀から講組織による販売が加わり、飛躍的に輪島塗の需要が伸びるとともに、北前船によっても全国に運ばれその名声を広げていきました。
Wajima-nuri is produced in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Located in the northwestern part of the Noto Peninsula, which juts out into the Sea of Japan, Wajima is a small town with a population of less than 30,000, and has become famous throughout Japan for its Wajima-nuri. In addition to Wajima lacquerware, the city is also famous for the Wajima morning market, Gojinjyo drums, and Senmaida rice paddies.
The word “Wajima” first appeared in history in the middle of the Muromachi period (1393-1572). There is a theory that a priest from Negoroji Temple in Kishu came to Wajima Jurenji Temple to manufacture furniture for the temple and introduced lacquer craft techniques, or that local people went to Negoro to learn the techniques and returned to Wajima.
It was not until the Edo period (1603-1867) that the technique of making a solid undercoat was gradually established and Wajima-nuri became known to people as a specialty of Noto. The basis of Wajima-nuri was the lacquering of vermilion or black lacquer, but many maki-e artists were born under the tutelage of Zenshichi Iida, a maki-e artist who came from Owari in 1872. From the mid-Meiji period to the Taisho period (1912-1926), the image of Wajima-nuri as a luxurious decoration with chinkin and maki-e became firmly established.
The sales of Wajima-nuri was expanded by peddling Wajima-nuri all over the country, with the nuri-ya carrying samples of their products on their backs. Especially in the 18th century, the demand for Wajima-nuri increased dramatically with the addition of the sales by the “kouzoku” organization, and the fame of Wajima-nuri spread as it was carried all over the country by the Kitamae-bune (a small boat that carried the lacquerware to the north).
九谷焼
九谷焼は、1975年（S50年）に九谷焼が通商産業省（現経済産業省）より伝統工芸品に認定され、翌51年には石川県無形文化財に指定されました。また、日本政府から人間国宝として認定を受けた三代徳田八十吉（とくだやそきち）さんや、吉田美統（よしたみのり）さんがいらっしゃいます。その九谷焼の特徴とともに九谷焼の歴史や美しい九谷焼特有の色絵デザインの紹介をしていきます。
九谷焼の発祥地は、冬には雪に閉ざされ交通もとだえる奥深い村、加賀国江沼郡九谷村で現在の石川県加賀市山中町九谷村です。
｢九谷焼｣はその名の通り、地名の｢九谷村｣の名からとったもので、江戸末期頃より九谷焼きと呼ばれるようになりました。
九谷焼の開窯創業についてはいろいろな説がありますが、一般には明歴元年（1665）頃と言われています。当時、大聖寺藩が鉱山開発中に、藩領内の九谷村で磁器の原料となる陶石が発見されたことで、磁器の生産が始められたと言われています。
また、この時期に製陶されたものを｢古九谷｣と呼んでいます。しかしこの「古九谷」は元禄年間（1688～1703）の1701年頃、開窯からわずか約50年で生産を終了します。閉窯の理由は、さまざまな説がありよくわかりません。
以降約100年間九谷焼は空白のときが続き、江戸時代後期の文化3年（1806）金沢の春日山窯にて 復興します。この窯を指導したのが京都の青木木米です。以降若杉窯、吉田屋窯、飯田屋窯、永楽窯、小野窯、庄三窯と次々に開窯し、これらの窯はいずれも産業指向をめざし、日常品の生産を行っていきました。この時期の各窯はそれぞれ特徴ある作風を確立しており、今日の九谷焼の源流となっています。
時の流れにつれて窯場も場所を移し、現在の九谷焼の中心地として栄えているのは石川県能美市寺井町です。日本海と山の間に挟まれた県の南部にある人口約15,000人の町です。その寺井町は、九谷焼の里として全国的に知られ、九谷焼の総生産量の約80%を賄っています。特に九谷陶芸村界隈には陶器問屋が軒を連ね、各お店には美しい色絵磁器が沢山展示されています。
kutani-ware
In 1975, Kutaniyaki was recognized as a traditional craft by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), and in 1951, it was designated as an intangible cultural asset by Ishikawa Prefecture. In addition, there are two other Kutani-yaki artists, Tokuda Yashokichi III and Yoshida Minori, who have been designated as living national treasures by the Japanese government. The following is an introduction to the history of Kutaniyaki as well as the characteristics of Kutaniyaki and its beautiful Kutaniyaki-specific color designs.
Kutaniyaki originated in Kutani Village, Enuma County, Kaga Province, which is now Yamanaka Town, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, a remote village that is snowbound in winter and has no transportation access.
The name “Kutaniyaki” was taken from the name of the place, “Kutani Village,” and it has been called Kutaniyaki since around the end of the Edo period.
There are various theories regarding the founding of Kutaniyaki, but it is generally believed that the kiln was established around the first year of Meireki (1665). It is said that the Daishoji clan was developing a mine at the time, and ceramic stones were discovered in Kutani Village within the clan territory, which led to the production of porcelain.
The ceramics produced during this period are called “Ko-Kutani. However, production of “Old Kutani” ended around 1701 during the Genroku era (1688-1703), only about 50 years after the opening of the kiln. The reason for the closure of the kiln is not well known, as there are various theories.
After that, Kutani-yaki remained blank for about 100 years, until it was restored at the Kasuga-yama Kiln in Kanazawa in 1806 during the late Edo period (1606). Aoki Kigome of Kyoto guided this kiln. The Wakasugi, Yoshidaya, Iidaya, Eiraku, Ono, and Shozo kilns were opened one after another, and all of these kilns were oriented toward industry and the production of daily wares. Each kiln during this period established its own distinctive style, which is the origin of today’s Kutaniyaki.
As time went by, the kilns moved to other locations, and today, Terai-cho, Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is the center of Kutaniyaki production. The town has a population of about 15,000 and is located in the southern part of the prefecture between the Sea of Japan and the mountains. Terai is nationally known as the home of Kutani ware, which accounts for about 80% of total Kutani ware production. In particular, the Kutani Pottery Village area is lined with pottery wholesalers, and many beautifully colored porcelain pieces are on display in their stores.
九谷焼は、日本を代表する色絵陶磁器で、その最大の魅力は簡単に言うと絵柄です。専門的には「上絵付け」と呼ばれます。九谷 焼は「上絵付けを語らずして九谷はない」と言われるほど、色絵装飾の素晴らしさは、豪放華麗です。
まず知っていてほしいのは九谷五彩です。上絵付けの特徴は『赤、黄、緑、紫、紺青』の、五彩手(通称九谷五彩)という、みごとな色彩効果と優美な絵模様に表れています。その五彩によって描かれる色絵の技法は、現代まで脈々と受け継がれています。その他、『緑、黄、紫、紺青』を使用した青手古九谷というのもあります。色彩のハーモニーがとても魅力的です。このように、九谷焼の作品からは細かい絵を丹念に精魂込めて書き、描く、職人たちの心が伝わります。
そして、九谷焼と聞いて、皆さんはどんな作品が思い浮かぶでしょうか？九谷焼では”窯”によって作風が大きく変わります。窯がひとつの流派をつくると考えてもらうとわかりやすいかもしれません。人間国宝の作品がどこの窯元かを見ると面白いですし、はたまた昔の窯元なら古九谷と呼ばれる濃厚な色で埋め尽くされたものかもしれませね。そうです、作り手の数だけ作風があるだけではなく、窯元も大きく作風に影響を与え、様々なデザインの焼き物があるのが九谷焼の素晴らしさでもあります。
Kutani-yaki is one of Japan’s most famous colored porcelains, and its greatest appeal is simply its patterns. The most fascinating aspect of Kutaniyaki is, simply put, the patterns. Kutani Yaki is said to be “Kutani without talking about overglaze painting.
The first thing you should know about Kutani is Kutani Gosai. The characteristic of Kutani overglaze enameling is the five colors of red, yellow, green, purple, and navy blue, which is called Gosai-te (commonly known as Kutani Gosai), and is expressed in the beautiful color effects and graceful patterns of the painting. The technique of color painting using these five colors has been handed down to the present day. There is also Aote-Ko-Kutani, which uses green, yellow, purple, and navy blue. The harmony of colors is very attractive. In this way, Kutaniyaki works convey the heart of the artisans who painstakingly write and draw detailed pictures with all their heart and soul.
When you hear the word “Kutaniyaki,” what kind of work comes to mind? The style of Kutaniyaki varies greatly depending on the “kiln”. It may be easier to understand if you think of a kiln as creating a school. It is interesting to see which kiln produced the work of a living national treasure, or if it is an old kiln, it may be filled with the rich colors of Koya, which is called Koya. Yes, not only are there as many styles as there are makers, but the kiln also greatly influences the style, and the variety of pottery designs is the beauty of Kutani-yaki.
販売者
株式会社 新城
Araki Corporation