Many people who appreciate the Joseon Dynasty also appreciate Karatsu ware. Perhaps it's because they share a similar aesthetic.

However, it seems that he doesn't necessarily like Takatori, Ueno, or Satsuma pottery, which were made by potters who came from the Korean Peninsula.

So why Karatsu?

I believe that Karatsu is, above all, about "freedom."

In comparison, Takatori and Ueno seem somewhat formulaic, perhaps because they strongly reflect the tastes of their feudal lords.

Compared to the simple and natural Karatsu ware, Takatori ware is more refined, which is likely due to the guidance of Oribe and Enshu.

When you delve into the charm of Karatsu ware, you inevitably arrive at tea ceremony pottery and sake vessels.

Tea ceramics are vessels used to create the atmosphere of the tea ceremony.

Haruzo Hayashiya, a leading expert in tea ceremony ceramics, wrote, "I have come to the realization that tea bowls are not something to be 'looked at' but rather something to 'converse with.' And that those that speak deeply are the ones that are truly 'masterpieces'" (from "Masterpieces Speak"), which are intriguing words.

If I could create even one such masterpiece, I would have no regrets as a ceramic artist.

That's where the difference between a rice bowl and a tea bowl used for the tea ceremony lies.

Karatsu sake cups are highly coveted among sake enthusiasts, often referred to as "Bizen sake bottles, Karatsu sake cups."

Both tea bowls and sake cups are meant to be held and enjoyed.

You can't truly appreciate Japanese pottery until you use it, and it's fair to say that this is where a uniquely Japanese aesthetic lies.

The 7th "Twelve Karatsu Ware Artists Exhibition" showcases the unique Karatsu ware styles of twelve different artists.

We would love for you to visit us.

Sakurei OkamotoThis "Yellow Karatsu Yamase Tea Bowl" is a masterpiece created with utmost effort, employing a complete oxidation firing process.

This atmosphere can only be created with the light-colored soil of Yamase.

As an accent, a slight greenish ochre is visible both inside and outside the rim.

He has mastered the techniques of old Karatsu ware, expressing his own unique aesthetic.

Yasumoto KajiwaraThis "Ryokan-style tea bowl" is a type of tea bowl that the artist has recently become fascinated with.

Ryōkan, who lived a simple life, is said to have used a cracked tea bowl that he picked up from a bamboo grove for a long time.

This large, flat tea bowl was inspired by that anecdote.

There are two cracks in the rim, which have been carefully repaired with gold.

Kiyomi KawakamiThis "Black Karatsu Water Jar" is a unique black Karatsu ware unlike any other Karatsu ware before it.

Therefore, several types of glazes are mixed together and blended.

After shaping on the potter's wheel, several grooves are made using something like a chopstick to express movement.

Furthermore, the front of the piece is tilted towards the embers of the kiln, creating a dramatic charring effect and adding visual interest.

Masahiro TakehanaThis Karatsu tea bowl is an elegant piece made from local sandstone from Iwaki, and glazed with a transparent glaze made from the same Iwaki clay.

The individual characteristics are deliberately toned down so that the owner can easily raise and care for the plant.

That is likely the author's message.

This is a tea bowl whose charm is revealed through use.

Sajiro TanakaThis "E-Karatsu Handled Bowl" is a powerful, square bowl with a wooden base.

The prototype for the handled bowl is probably a bamboo basket.

This applies specifically to kaiseki tableware; from a practical standpoint, handles are unnecessary.

However, I think that the addition of a handle creates a space that evokes the tea ceremony.

Nakazato TaikiThe "Madara Karatsu Eared Water Jar" is a simple, upright, cylindrical water jar with small handles on both sides.

The entire piece is decorated with a fine, rope-like pattern, and then a mottled glaze is applied over it.

The contrast between the reddish-brown color and the white mottled glaze is beautiful.

This is a straightforward work, typical of this author.

Nakazato TarouemonThe "Karatsu Black Tea Bowl" is a cylindrical tea bowl made of black clay.

After shaping on a potter's wheel, an iron glaze is applied, followed by a glaze made by mixing red pigment into straw ash, and then it is fired.

This is a new challenge by the 14th generation Nakazato Tarouemon, something unprecedented in Karatsu.

Fujinoki TsuchihiraThe "E-Karatsu Tea Bowl" depicts the character for "horse" using pictographic characters, with the head to the right and the tail to the left.

This tea bowl is the first piece fired in the newly rebuilt climbing kiln.

There is an ancient legend that using a work of art depicting this left-facing horse will prevent strokes.

This tea bowl was made to capitalize on that auspicious symbolism.

Rui MitoThis "Black Karatsu Tea Bowl" is a tea bowl made from clay from Sari in Higashimatsuura District, and fired after being coated with iron glaze and wood ash.

At the very end of the firing process, the tea bowls are dropped directly onto the firewood, creating a unique, weathered appearance.

The appeal of black Karatsu ware lies in its profound hues, which can never be expressed with a single color.

Yasunaga RaizanThe "Whale Skin Tea Bowl" is a tea bowl with many points of interest.

This tea bowl is rather small and shoe-shaped, with a rim that resembles a mountain path and is coated with iron glaze.

The tea reservoir is visible inside, and the carving of the base is interesting.

The transparent glaze that extends all the way to the base creates a magnificent sight.

This is a bowl of tea that is uniquely this writer's creation.

Naoto YanoThis "Madara Karatsu Guinomi" is a neat, cylindrical sake cup with a flared rim.

The clay used is sandstone from Kitahata, and the glaze is made by mixing the same sandstone with wood ash and straw ash.

The way the mottled glaze develops varies depending on the season; in winter, perhaps due to the lower humidity, it tends to develop a whiter glaze.

Keiko YoshinoThe "E-Karatsu Katakuchi Sake Server" has a wonderfully generous form that is very pleasing to the eye.

This generosity of spirit is likely an innate quality of this writer.

On the other hand, the "Sand-Spotted Sake Cup" is made not from the traditional straw ash, but from a mixture of sandstone and wood ash, and the glaze flowing over the inside and outside creates a magnificent spectacle.

Koichi Mori (Art critic, Standing Director of the Japan Ceramic Society)