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- pieces. However, the Meiji government was quick to realize the potential of exporting Japanese ceramics abroad, and officially supported the industry on a large scale. The emphasis was shifted to production of everyday items.
The Japanese ceramic industry began to evolve upon the arrival of a German chemist Dr. Gottfried Wagner in 1868. He came to Japan to teach French enamelling techniques and was extremely influential in bringing in new ideas, techniques and colouring materials from the West. Wagner was called upon to help improve the industry for export production. He also taught many pupils who would later receive great acclaim for their work.
The Vienna Exposition of 1873 was a particularly important event for Japanese potters. The Meiji government sent several potters like Notomi Kaijiro (1844-1918), Kawaharo Chujiro (1849-1889) and Tanzan Rokuro to accompany their exhibits to Europe. Some stayed on in Europe to work and study in the ceramic centres, acquiring the knowledge and materials neces�sary for the improvement of Japan's ceramic industry. Some of the major borrowings included the techniques of using plaster- of-paris molds for mass producing ceramics, new scientific methods of firing and the use of various new pigments for decoration.
Upon the return of these potters and with the help of Wag�ner, a revolution took place in Japanese ceramics. Numerous European-style kilns were built and Western colouring and glaz�ing techniques were employed. The new knowledge greatly expanded the Japanese ceramic export market. Subsequently, many kiln centres enjoyed increased production and prosperity. However, unlimited trade resulted in mass production and a lowering of quality. A sharp contrast developed between the mass produced machine or hand made commercial products for the local and export markets, and the expensive, finely deco�rated art ceramics for the connoisseur's market.
Major innovators of Western ceramic kiln techniques include Takemoto Hayata (1848-1892), Ito Tozan (1846-1920), and Kato Tomotaro (1851-1916). Other significant potters of the Meiji period include Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916), who was influenced by Art Nouveau of the West and is noted for his sculpted
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ceramics; Miura Ken'ya (1825-1889) whose pottery was styled after the great Ogata Kenzan's work (1663-1743); Seifu Yohei III (1851-1914) who achieved high acclaim for his elegant monochrome pieces; and Takahashi Dohachi IV (1845-1897).
The main objective of Japanese potters was to produce popular pieces for export. They competed with each other for the foreign market as well as for awards at international expositions and trade fairs.
Many of the early Meiji ceramics were produced in the European style while the second half of the period saw a further improvement in glazing techniques, designs and quality. Soon Japanese ceramic production reached as high a level, if not higher, than Western ceramics.
By the Chicago Exposition of 1893, Japanese ceramics were ex�hibited for the first time as fine art. Ceramic artists such as Seifu Yohei and Makuzu Kozan received particular acclaim there.
By late Meiji there was criticism of luxurious ceramics and calls for mass production of everyday ceramics. Unfortunately the result was that potters and their factories standardized production using Western methods and designs. This wholesale adoption of Western styles resulted in commercial tableware with very little character.
There were some young individual potters of the late Meiji period like Itaya Hazan (1872-1963), Miyanaga Tozan (1868-1941) and Is- hino Ryuzan (1862-1932), who succeeded in effectively combining the ceramic traditions of both the East and West, while preserving some of the rustic flavour of the Japanese ceramic tradition.
There is a huge diversity in the quality of ceramics of the Meiji period. The exquisite art pieces were elaborate and were amongst the finest ceramic works of art in the contemporary world. The mass produced pieces however, which are more familiar to most, exhibit dubious taste and have awkward shapes with busy designs and gaudy colours. Westerners are most familiar with Sat- suma export ware which flooded Western markets at this time. Most pieces are over-embellished with gold enamel and not Japanese in taste but are the Japanese estimate of what foreigner's taste was. The Satsuma kilns also produced some of the finest ceramics of the Meiji period.
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