Zeze ware (膳所焼, Zeze-yaki) is a type of Japanese pottery traditionally from Ōtsu, in the former Zeze Domain in Ōmi Province. It is one of Enshū's Seven Kilns.1 Zeze ware is characterised by being extremely thin and light, using a technique called mizu-hiki that adds a small amount of water to the potter's wheel. The majority of works made in Zeze ware are used for tea ceremony.2
Despite its popularity with Enshū and his contemporaries, Zeze ware declined in the 18th century. In 1919, a local benefactor named Iwasaki Kenzo revived Zeze ware by opening a new kiln under the guidance of a master ceramist from Kyoto.34 Iwasaki's oldest son, Shinjo Iwasaki (1913-2009), continued the tradition of Zeze pottery.56
A museum dedicated to Zeze ware was established in Ōtsu, Shiga in 1987.35
References
References
- Pitelka, Morgan; Tseng, Alice Y. (2016-05-20). Kyoto Visual Culture in the Early Edo and Meiji Periods: The arts of reinvention. Routledge. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-1-317-28689-9.
- "Zeze-Yaki: Zeze ware | Pottery & Porcelain | Shiga". Japanese Traditional Culture Promotion & Development Organization. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- "Zeze-yaki Museum". METI | Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- Takaki, Masahisa (2024-08-11). "The art museum of Zeze ware in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, was built on the site of a climbing kiln for revived Zeze ware". Tour Guide Japan. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- "岩崎新定（いわさき しんじょう） | 古美術 春鼎庵しゅんていあん" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- "江戸から大正の豪華な武者人形 大津で展示：中日新聞Web". 中日新聞Web (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-02.