Thank you for your business. Width 20.5 Height 15 Made by Iwata Teizan Iwata Pottery Studio, Teizan Kiln Purchased at the Tobe Ware Festival before the COVID-19 pandemic. Iwata Pottery Studio, Teizan Kiln, was founded in 1955 by Eizo Iwata, a disciple of Kanjiro Kawai, and is a Tobe Ware kiln. Kawai Kanjiro, who sought "the beauty of utility" as a potter and declined all nominations for the Order of Cultural Merit and Living National Treasures, his sensibility lives on. For the past 70 years, his son Sadao and Kenji have continued to create pottery with a commitment to handmade and hand-painted techniques. Their works are characterized by their dedication to the potter's wheel, painting, and kiln firing. Tobe Ware is now rare. This is one such Tobe Ware kiln. Tobe Ware (Tobe-yaki) is pottery and porcelain produced in and around Tobe Town, Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture. It began to be produced in the mid-Edo period and was certified as a traditional craft by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 1976. Tobe is known as the largest pottery village in Shikoku, located along the Median Tectonic Line, which is rich in porcelain materials. The availability of high-quality porcelain stone from the mountains led to the spread of porcelain culture, and many kilns remain today. A characteristic of Tobe Ware is its exceptionally white and beautiful porcelain surface, which is translucent. Compared to Arita Ware, the white porcelain surface has a slightly grayish hue, and the color varies due to the iron content and other components in the raw porcelain stone. For this reason, Tobe artisans have improved glazes and designers have applied various techniques, such as hand-painting designs. Tobe Ware continues to be loved as a friendly type of pottery, made and fired by hand.