Katsuki Ichino

Katsuki Ichino is the seventh generation of the Ichino family who have been making Tanba ware, one of the "Six Old Kilns of Japan" in the Hyogo prefecture. This pottery originated about 850 years ago at the end of Heian era. In 1926, a Japanese folk art movement called "mingei" was started by Sōet...

Katsuki Ichino is the seventh generation of the Ichino family who have been making Tanba ware, one of the "Six Old Kilns of Japan" in the Hyogo prefecture. This pottery originated about 850 years ago at the end of Heian era. In 1926, a Japanese folk art movement called "mingei" was started by Sōetsu Yanagi, a Japanese philosopher, and some of his friends. The idea was to introduce Japanese everyday artwork and craftwork such as pottery, textile, and lacquerware created by anonymous craftsmen to the world as these works had been largely ignored by art history. Yanagi collected 300 works of Tanba ware and wrote a book dedicated to the beauty of Tanba ware. Due to the efforts of Sōetsu Yanagi, the history of Tanba ware as tableware pottery was revived 90 years ago. Katsuki Ichino's efforts to present his new style of pottery applying techniques of Tanba ware as contemporary art will help continue Yanagi's "mingei" movement.