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Kiyomizu-yaki
Kiyomizu-yaki
(清水焼- Kiyomizu ware) is a traditional type of pottery that has its origins in the Momoyama era (1568 – 1600) when Kyoto became a major center of pottery production. Kiyomizu-yaki takes its name from Kiyomizu Temple, because in the past there were many kilns in the Gojozaka area that leads up to that temple. Today most of the kilns are based in outlying areas such as Yamashina and Sumiyama, but Gojozaka is still lined with around 400 pottery stores selling beautiful rice bowls, tea utensils, tableware, incense burners, and decorative ceramics. This is a particularly refined and elegant style of pottery featuring exquisite colors and outstanding craftmanship. You will often see the term Kiyomizu-yaki paired with Kyo-yaki (京焼- Kyoto ware) which is a general term for pottery made in Kyoto. Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki are together nationally designated as traditional handicrafts of Japan.
I have set up my own virtual pottery stall below which will give you some flavor of the sheer variety available within Kiyomizu-yaki. All the products shown below are genuine hand-crafted works from Kyoto and you can click on each image to learn more on the individual Amazon page.
