Tamagawa-yaki

History of Tamagawa Pottery

At the Enomoto family near Kōshōji Temple in Sakahama, they possess pottery called "Tamagawa-yaki," which was fired in this area during the late Edo period. The Enomoto family were farmers for generations in Sakahama Village, but from the time of the first generation Rihei (a person from the Genroku era), it is said that during the agricultural off-season they used local clay to fire miscellaneous utensils such as teapots and mortars, and were known by the trade name "Dobinya." The fourth generation, Rihei, went to Seto and Kyoto areas to train in pottery, acquiring the techniques of pottery making in this region, and returned to Sakahama Village in the 5th year of Tenpō (1834) to begin pottery making in the Inagi area. Afterwards, Rihei started producing Tamagawa-yaki using a tamajirushi (jewel mark) as a trademark and actively conducted business. He used the art names Enomoto Shisui and Chōfuken Shisui.
According to a woodblock printed flyer for promoting Tamagawa-yaki, preserved by the Enomoto family, it is understood that the pottery began firing using clay from around Omaru Kawarayato, and took the "Tama" seal (meaning Tama District) found on Kokubunji roof tiles as its trademark. It also notes that many counterfeit Tamagawa-yaki products were circulating at the time, and that the Enomoto family's products were the original. The promotional text includes a map showing directions to the Enomoto family.
Enomoto Shisui passed away in the first year of Keio (1865), but his son also used the name Enomoto Shisui, and it is believed that Tamagawa ware itself was circulated until around the mid-Meiji period. However, many works from the Meiji period are said to imitate pottery from various regions, and the works of the first-generation Shisui are considered superior.

Tamagawa Ware Works

All the Tamagawa ware remaining in the Enomoto family are Raku ware, including matcha tea bowls, incense containers, water pitchers, small plates, stamps, molds, box-shaped pots, and wooden bellows. Matcha tea bowls are the most numerous and form the core of the legacy, among which the iron-painted tea bowl with a pattern of a basket and bleached cloth (the central piece in the left photo above) is a representative masterpiece. Among the incense containers, the pentagonal bellflower-shaped ones are typical and have a celadon-like appearance. There are also turtle-shaped incense containers and round incense containers with cobalt blue designs. Additionally, there are molds used for making works featuring cranes, pine trees, and arabesque patterns, as well as box-shaped pots and wooden bellows used in the kiln where the works were created.
In addition to the Enomoto family, there are other fine pieces remaining. The ceramic plaque dated to the 5th year of Tenpō, held by the Katō family in Sakahama, bears a signature by Shisui himself, indicating that Shisui, who was training elsewhere, returned to Sakahama village in the winter of Tenpō 5 and began engaging in ceramics. It is a valuable work that helps determine the production period of Tamagawa ware. The Tokyo National Museum preserves a white-glazed monaka incense container painted with a mortar and pestle in underglaze blue and fired at low temperature. The box inscription of this piece bears the signature of Enomoto Shisui and the Tamagawa seal. Also, a large red-raku lion-shaped incense burner is a powerful and excellent work.
Tamagawa-yaki that flowed overseas is also well known. These were brought back to America by Dr. E. S. Morse, who is known for laying the foundations of modern archaeology, and currently, five pieces of Tamagawa-yaki are housed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. According to the collection catalog, it includes one large lion-shaped incense burner, two matcha tea bowls, and two incense containers.