Aspects of Early Modern Japanese Life and Culture Reflected in the Hizen Porcelain Collection of the Hearst Museum of Anthropology

Japan’s first porcelain ware began to be produced in Arita in the province of Hizen, Kyushu, in the 1610s in the early modern period. These came to dominate the Japanese porcelain market when imports of Chinese porcelain ceased in 1644 due to internal unrest in China accompanying the Ming-Qing dynastic transition. With the sharp decline in Chinese porcelain imports, the Nabeshima clan of Saga domain developed Nabeshima ware as dining sets for the Tokugawa shogun , who held political power during the Edo period (1603–1867). The Nabeshima domain kilns produced the highest standard of tableware—distinct from commoners’ tableware—to be presented annually to the shogun. Meanwhile, private kilns began producing oil jars and long plates suitable for the everyday life of Japanese people. When eating soba noodles at restaurants became popular in the 18th century, sobachoko (small cups for dipping sauce) were produced in volume. Additionally, large plates for banquets, which had not been produced for domestic use for over 100 years due to the shogun’s frugality decree of 1666, were revived and produced in quantity from the late 18th century onward as the people’s economic power increased.

This presentation examines Hizen porcelain objects housed in the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology as a reflection of early modern Japanese life and culture, and was made possible through generous support from the Japan World Exposition 1970 Fund by the KANSAI OSAKA 21^st Century Association to UC Berkeley.

近世日本の1610年代に九州の肥前・有田で始まった日本初の磁器は、当時輸入されていた中国磁器が1644年、明清の王朝交替に伴う中国の内乱で輸入が止まると、代わって日本の磁器市場を独占する。中国磁器輸入激減に伴い、江戸時代の政治権力を握っていた徳川将軍の食器として佐賀・鍋島藩は鍋島焼を開発し、民間の食器とは異なる最高水準の食器を鍋島藩窯で作り、毎年献上する。一方、民間の窯では日本の生活文化にもとづく油壷や長皿が作られ始める。18世紀にそばの外食が流行し始めると、そのつけ汁入れとしてのそば猪口が盛んに作られる。また、宴会用の大皿は将軍の1666年の倹約令で100年以上国内向けには作られなかったが、18世紀末から人々の経済力向上に伴い復活し、盛んに作られる。

このような近世日本の生活文化にもとづく肥前磁器についてハースト人類学博物館所蔵品でみる。