Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 8.djvu/179

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WARES OF SATSUMA

ing noticeable on comparison with the fracture of porcelain.

It is necessary to return for a moment to the story of Ono Genriu-in. In 1663 his attempt to inaugurate the manufacture of Satsuma porcelain failed. He then applied his attention to faience, devoting all the money he possessed or could obtain to the maintenance of the Nishi-yoda kiln. In 1665 he was able to present twelve varieties of pottery to his feudal lord, and in consequence of this success he was nominated a Director of Keramic Industry. By-and-by the local authorities established a warehouse in Kagoshima, under Genriu's control, for the sale of his potteries; and in 1684 he had the honour of being directed to supply ware twice a year to the house of Shimazu. Genriu died in 1690, but before his death he had the satisfaction of seeing his wares widely patronised, and over thirty families of potters engaged in their manufacture. He did not, however, make any noteworthy addition to keramic processes. The only ware distinguished as Genriu-yaki was faience having hard, reddish pâte and dark brown glaze run in globules, after the fashion of the well-known Chosa ware of Hōchiu. For the rest, the description already given of Hōchiu's faience applies in the main to that of Genriu, except that the latter was technically inferior. At the end of the eighteenth century the Nishi-yoda factory was closed, and the workmen moved to Tatsumonji, where Ono Saiemon, sixth in descent from Genriu, now prosecutes his trade. It may be mentioned here that the potters of Tatsumonji employ the following materials in the manufacture of their faience, viz.: For the faience mass, five parts by weight of the clay found at Kurogaki, in the vicinity;

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