Awaji pottery has got its name after the Japanese island at which it was made during a period of about one hundred years, between 1830 and 1939. Most of the pieces we find are made from the mid 1870's when Awaji began to export its products, to the mid to late 1930's when the last of the kilns closed.
Earlier wares from the active period of this kiln catered to the Asian taste and could be found imitating Chinese monochromes from the Kangxi period and later. Wares from the turn of the century, the shapes got more inspired by the western art movement such as Art Deco (Jugend) and Art Noveau. Awaji pottery is usually hand thrown. The body is made of high-fired, white or cream colored clay. Footrims can vary from pink or buff to white or grey.
The glazes are lead based and often brilliant in tone. They are typically translucent and have a fine crackle. The lead in the glaze gives the colors brilliance and makes the translucent enamels glassy and often iridescent. Most common are the green and yellow Awaji monochromes. The yellow can range from pale lemon to deep amber but also cobalt blue, aubergine, light green, blue, light and dark turquoise, mirror-black, and burgundy occurs.
Other wares can feature two-tone glazes, three-color glazes that are very similar to Chinese sancai), pieces, with incised decoration (most commonly featuring iris flowers), and applied relief decoration. Also more gaudy examples from the last decade are Flambé and drip glazed wares similar to Japanese Sumida and Chinese Shiwan pottery, or later Jindezheng Jun or transmutation glazes, with generous layers of thick glaze.
Jan-Erik Nilsson
Introductory text written by and together with several expert members of the Gotheborg Discussion Board
The gotheborg.com marks page was originally initiated by a donation of marks from the collection of Karl-Hans Schneider, Euskirchen, Germany in July 2000. The section have since then been greatly extended by a large number of contributing collectors.
