Tamagawa-yaki

History of Tamagawa Pottery

The Enomoto family, located near Takakatsu-ji in Sakahama, possesses pottery known as "Tamagawa-yaki," which was fired in this area during the late Edo period. The Enomoto family had been engaged in agriculture for generations in Sakahama village, but it is said that since the time of the first Rihei (a person from the Genroku era), they began to fire earthenware such as teapots and mortars using local clay during the agricultural off-season, and were referred to by the shop name "Dobinya." The fourth Rihei, who was a potter, went to Seto and Kyoto for pottery training, acquired the techniques of pottery making in this region, and returned to Sakahama village in the 5th year of Tenpo (1834) to start pottery production in Inagi. Later, Rihei began producing Tamagawa-yaki, trademarked with a seal, and actively engaged in business. He used the names Enomoto Shisui and Chofu-ken Shisui.
According to a woodblock-printed flyer for promoting Tamagawa-yaki that remains in the Enomoto family, it is understood that they started firing using clay from around Omaru Kawarayato and adopted the "Tama" imprint (meaning of Tama County) as their trademark. At that time, many counterfeit Tamagawa-yaki pieces were circulating, and it is noted that the Enomoto family's products were the originals. The promotional text includes a map guiding to the Enomoto family.
Enomoto Shisui passed away in the first year of Keio (1865), but Shisui's son also bore the name Enomoto Shisui, and it is believed that Tamagawa-yaki itself continued to circulate until around the mid-Meiji period. However, many of the works from the Meiji period seem to have imitated pottery from various regions, and it is said that the works of the first Shisui are superior.

Tamagawa Ware Works

The Tamagawa ware currently remaining in the Enomoto family is all Raku ware, including matcha tea bowls, incense containers, water pitchers, small plates, stamps, prototypes, boxes, and wooden bellows. The matcha tea bowls are the most numerous and form the core of the legacy, among which the tea bowl with iron painting featuring the Jakago and fabric-dyed patterns (the central piece in the photo on the left) is a representative fine piece. The pentagonal kikyo-shaped incense container is a representative example, resembling celadon. There are also turtle-shaped incense containers and round incense containers with cobalt blue painting. Additionally, there are prototypes used for making works, such as crane, pine, and arabesque patterns, as well as boxes and wooden bellows used in the kiln for creating works.
Other fine pieces remain outside the Enomoto family. The ceramic plaque from the Kato family in Sakahama, dated the 5th year of the Tempo era, bears a signature by Shisui, indicating that Shisui, who had been training, returned to Sakahama village in the winter of the 5th year of Tempo to engage in pottery. This is a valuable piece for understanding the production period of Tamagawa ware. The Tokyo National Museum has a white-glazed incense container with a design of a mortar and pestle painted in cobalt blue, fired at low temperature. The box for this piece is inscribed with the signature of Enomoto Shisui and the Tamagawa seal. Additionally, there is a large lion-shaped incense burner made of red Raku ware, which is a robustly crafted fine piece.
It is also known that some Tamagawa ware has flowed overseas. This includes pieces brought back to America by Dr. E.S. Morse, who is known for laying the foundation of modern archaeology, and currently, five pieces of Tamagawa ware are housed in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. According to the collection catalog, there is one large lion-shaped incense burner, two matcha tea bowls, and two incense containers listed.