Karatsu Ware

Although disputed, it seems likely that Karatsu ware was being made in this area even before the 1592 campaigns to Korea. The name is abbreviated from a ware made in the area of Matsuura where there were a number of kilns producing Taku kokaratsu, Hirado kokaratsu, and Takeo kokaratsu. It was, however, the ware from the Matsuura kokaratsu kiln that finally gave its name to this particular style of pottery.

The natural, earthy look of this ware gives it an appealing intimacy. The drawn motifs have a natural warmth and of all the pieces produced, those for the tea ceremony are particularly well known. Nowadays, tea cups, teapots, flower vases and sake flasks fill the kilns, which are still being worked by 69 firms, employing some 245 staff.