You find yourself using them every day.
The pottery of Furuya Seitosho, which produces pottery based on the concept of “accompanying people in their daily lives,” is just such a type of vessel.
They produce simple and warm “Kohiki” pottery that suits the lifestyle of the moment.
Each piece of pottery is handmade and is comfortable to hold in your hand.
Hirokazu Furutani is the eldest son of Nobuo Furutani, who was the pioneer of Shigaraki ware’s white “Kohiki” pottery, and the successor to Furutani Seitosho. While inheriting his father’s traditional ceramic technique of “konpiki,” he is pursuing the creation of unique konpiki vessels that fit in with the lifestyle of the times.
Easy-to-use white vessels
Convenient “white dishes” that complement food and suit any situation. Among them, there is a type called ” kohiki. The reading of the word is “kohiki” or “kobiki. It is the official name of the technique, and is used to refer to all the white clay dishes that are glazed and fired after being coated with a white mud called “white makeup” on top of the base clay. Characterized by its simple and warm white color, it gently envelops any food and goes well with other dishes.
Furuya Pottery, which has a kiln in the pottery town of Shigaraki, has been focusing on “white glazed dishes” since its establishment in 1971.
Shigaraki ware tableware that brings out the texture of the clay
Shigaraki, known for its raccoon dog figurines, is a pottery town with about 200 kilns and pottery mills. Because the town is located where Lake Biwa used to be, it is blessed with clayey clay suitable for pottery. In the Warring States period, ceramics were used for tea ceremony utensils, and since the modern period, ceramics have been produced not only for tea ceremony but also for tiles, flowerpots, tanuki ornaments, and all kinds of other items. Today, the town is attracting attention for its artist’s tableware, which brings out the texture of the clay.
Furuya Pottery, located in a village a short distance from the center of town, is a popular pottery that produces warm and welcoming tableware that fits in well with both Japanese and Western dining tables.
Making the most of the characteristics of “kojiki” (powder-coated porcelain)
Furuya Seitosho uses a unique blend of red clay with high iron content. The clay is then coated with a white layer of mud and glazed. The simple earthiness of the clay can be seen a little beneath the surface of the vessel. I hope people can feel the layers of the clay, ” says Furuya. The three-layered structure of “red clay,” “white makeup,” and “glaze” gives the bowls their soft texture and charm.
However, the three-layer structure also has the drawback of being easily soiled. Therefore, Mr. Furuya established a new method of firing twice at a lower temperature. By firing twice, we were able to eliminate the tendency to stain and the lack of strength, making it easier for people to use it on a daily basis,” he says.
The taste of “kohiki” deepened by grinding
The process of scraping brings out the flavor of kohiki even more. After shaping and drying, the surface is scraped with a spatula or a planer to create patterns. As Mr. Furuya says, “The shaving process changes the piece completely,” the shading of the glaze on the three-dimensional lines and the presence of the underlying clay give the piece its unique flavor.
Consistent Ideas Passed Down from His Father
Mr. Furuya aspired to become a potter and studied ceramics at the Ceramic Experiment Station in Shigaraki and at the Rokuroku pottery school in Kyoto. When he was 22 years old and about to graduate, his father Nobuo fell ill. Nobuo decided to retire and take over his family’s pottery business, “Kosugi Seitosho. I was supposed to apprentice myself to an artist in Tajimi, but my father collapsed during that time, so I decided to return to my parents’ home,” he said. I was able to work with my father for about a year. He concentrated on learning to make vessels and honed his skills in the limited time he had, while tracing his memories of his father’s work that he had grown up watching as a child.
My father mainly made Japanese tableware, but the concept was for everyday use. My father’s and my tableware are different in form, but the concept is consistent. My father taught me how to make dishes that are the right size and lightweight, which are necessary to achieve this.
Seeking the voices of users
In his father’s generation, wholesaling to wholesalers was the main business, but after Mr. Furuya took over the workshop, he began to actively participate in nationwide pottery fairs and craft fairs in order to “get closer to the consumers. He has been actively participating in pottery fairs and craft fairs across the country to “get closer to the consumers.” This is because direct conversation with users enables him to keep his antenna up to date on what kind of pottery is in demand in the current era and lifestyle.
In fact, many people around us live in Western-style houses and eat Western food. So it is only natural that the type of dishes required are changing as well.
Modern Western dishes that go well with cakes. Stackable dishes that can be stored. Reasonably priced dishes that are not too expensive and can be used on a daily basis. In order to fulfill the various requests he heard on site, a wide variety of original tableware was added to the lineup.
Playful design created with a sense of freedom
One of Mr. Furuya’s most popular works is his fruit-shaped vessels, such as apples and pears. These vessels have a charm that makes you want to pick them up without thinking, and their soft curves are a distinctive feature.
The dishes are so beautiful that you can’t help but want to pick them up, and their soft curves make them easy to match with any dish.
What I want to create is a bowl that makes you feel at ease when you hold it in your hand. If the straight lines and curves are too neat, it will look uncomfortable in everyday life. That is why I always try to be conscious of softness.
Furuya’s experience as an artist has given her the ability to make her deliberate curves feel natural.
Seeking a More Realistic Voice
In a corner of the studio is a showroom designed to look like a living space. Visitors can actually hold the vessels in their hands and check their usability and texture while shopping. In addition, from July 2022, the main building standing next to the workshop has been renovated to open up the kitchen space. All of this is based on the belief that the value of a piece of pottery cannot be understood until it is used. He also holds cooking classes with chefs.
I’ve never known such a way of serving food,” he says! I never knew there was such a way to serve food! A dish is only complete when it is served. It’s a great learning experience to see the reactions of people who have used the dishes. Furuya’s dishes have a reputation for making food look delicious. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for her reputation.
Because it is something you use every day
Today, Furuya’s dishes are sought after at craft fairs around the country, and she has fans all over the country. However, he is not content to rest on his laurels and continues to pursue even better vessels.
He says, “It’s a bit of a birth pang, but I enjoy receiving new orders. I think I like the time I spend spinning the potter’s wheel more than anything. It makes me feel at peace.
They are like a companion that somehow accompanies you in every moment of your daily life, an indispensable part of your daily routine. Sometimes they are the main attraction on the dinner table, and sometimes they play a supporting role. They are the reliable tableware that one should have in one’s cupboard. Behind Ms. Furuya’s soft demeanor lies an unshakable core of strength. And yet, he is flexible and responsive. All of this seems to be reflected in the form of his work. We are sure that his hands will continue to produce vessels that will lead us into the future, taking into account the opinions of users and flexibly responding to changes in food culture and lifestyles.
The most important time in our daily lives is the time when the family gathers together to eat or relax over a cup of tea or coffee. I try to make pottery that gently accompanies people’s lives so that such time can be enriched.
