Fine art exhibition hall at Seto City Cultural Center

After hearing the memorial lecture meeting, "Charm of Old Noritake" at the conference
room in Seto City Cultural Center, I saw the collection which overwhelmed me with so
absolutely gorgeous beauty.

Ｄiscussion

【Lecturer】
Mr. Yuji Kawaguchi of Noritake Artist Club Co., Ltd.
Ms. Yoshie Itani of Orient Laboratory at Oxford University
Ms. Keiko Wakabayashi, scholar of Old Noritake
Ms. Yumiko Oga, scholar of Old Noritake

【Point of lecture meeting】
Mr. Yuji Kawaguchi :
In 1883, Morimura Brothers, wholesaler ordered the manufacture of coffee cup with
Mr. Masukichi Kawamoto of Seto. The coffee cup was the one produced for the first
time in Japan. The designer of Morimura Brothers got the hint from the dress of the
woman who went to a church or the others, and draw a sketch. The sketch was sent
to Japan and was reflected precisely in the manufacture of Old Noritake. Then, it
was exported to the U.S.A. and attracted the people there.
The same production style are taken over to Noritake Co., Ltd. today.
In a world depression of the 1920s, a trend which desired a gay thing was born. In this
trend, art deco was born. A new material such as aluminum and plastic and the glazing
agent of Raster were also produced. Even if a new work is produced, it would still take
much time to market it. Because, the corroboration which could reproduce a perfect
work was required. (The part underlined is an interpretation by this web page writer.)

Ms. Yoshie Itani:
In around 1880, the cupboard was united with liking of a male and ornamented.
For example, it was ornamented with the beast etc. But, man and woman's relation
changed and the ornament of a dining room changed led by the woman. Meal culture
also became delicate. Riding on the current of the times, the sales of Old Noritake were
extended. (After that, beautifully delicate ceramics stopped being in fashion as a picnic
and a barbecue were in fashion.)
In Europe, a rose is the Bush garden rose of the rose pink color on botany. After Meiji
era, Japan also learned from this. Mr. Sataro Ishida of the Morimura Brothers Co drew
the yellow rose as a motif. When going back in the past, there was already a yellow rose
in the "Kasuga avatar picture scroll" and the accessories of Koyasan in 1543 in Japan.
Then, the botanist introduced the yellow rose also in Europe and the yellow rose became
known also among ordinary people.
There were 7,143 items in the export invoice from Japan to the U.S. in 1897. Among
them, 4,692 items were ceramics. 2,681 items were ceramics among 3,389 items in
1905 (Meiji 38). (Pottery was expressed as "fired clay" and porcelain as "fired stone" in
English at that time.)
Mr. Cottler of Seattle acquired the doctor's degree by research of "Transfer, Raster-
glazing , and a glazing agent" in Ohio State University in 1970 paying attention to Old
Noritake. In order to take out touch "light has shone" upon pottery, Meissen and royal
Copenhagen put white paints on the formed body→The formed body becomes thick and
the whole lacks in balance.
On the other hand, the technique of the "removing white" of Old Noritake makes the
touch as if light hits a forming body, without using white paints, and does not thicken
the forming body.
Ms. Yoshie Itani is submitting the doctoral dissertation entitled "Export Porcelain from
Seto in the Meiji Era" to Oxford University. Perusal of a doctoral dissertation is attained
in the National Diet Library of Japan.

Ms. Keiko Wakabayashi:
The "Cobalt-Gold Glazing Tea Set" seen in the warehouse of the parents' home in
Nagoya in girlhood was the first encounter with Old Noritake. Then, I knew from the
back mark that it was Old Noritake manufactured for the British export by Nihon Toki
in around 1908 (Meiji 41). Since then, I have collected Old Noritake with the deceased
husband for about ten years.
There is a work of the similar Gold-Glaze or the Gold-Point-Heaping in Westwedgehdd
in Europe., but it is produce by a process which makes "Okoshimono" (or Japanese
steamed rice cake). On the other hand, all Old Noritake is drawn and created by hand,
and so a craftsman's technology and the heart are reflected in a work. I performed the
Old Noritake exhibition in October, 2002 jointly with the private art museum "the Okura
-Shuko-Kan" in Hotel Okura of Tokyo. Noh costumes of the Edo era were offered from
the Okura -Shuko-Kan, and Old Noritake of the Meiji era from Mr. Wakabayash. The
both were put in order and exhibited. Each exhibit does not have sense of incongruity
and is harmonized very much. I am happy that longtime dream of "Holding Old Noritake
exhibition in art museums all over the country, and having you to know the beauty of
Old Noritake or the technique and passion of predecessors" is being realized.

Ms. Yumiko Oga:
After seeing the bowl of the golden heap of six square shapes put on the Western
tableware shelf of the antique mall of the State of Maryland in the U.S., I began collection
of Old Noritake. I was charmed by delicate beauty, such as a color with the transparent
feeling to which the cobalt color is mixed with purple, and a color which inclines to shade.
When seeing the back mark of the bowl, a character of Japan and a maple leaf was
drawn. When investigating the meaning at a library, I found that the stamp had pointed
out "Made byMorimura Brothers Co. in 1891." I went back temporarily, looked at the
book of "Old Noritake" got from the friend, and could confirm it. I was impressed by
there being a company which has manufactured and exported the porcelain which can
be called such a wonderful work of art in Japan of the Meiji era. I was overwhelmed by
the abundance of the expression and the height of completeness which have taken in
the aesthetic sense of the Japanese of the Meiji era and the technique similar to the
shading off of the yuzen of a kimono.