中屋

■Keitokuchin to Imari, and then to Europe

At that time, it was the Ko-Imari to be paid attention as taking
the place of China Keitokuchin.
The Arita porcelain were brought in Europe as Ko-Imari
from the Imari port by Dutch East India company. Then,
therewere the pottery in Europe but there was no
technology for making the porcelain yet. The white and
strong porcelain was the object of envy encompassed
by a mystery veil and the treasures of the unknown world
because the manufacturing process was secret. They were
much more graceful and delicate and translucent than the
pottery. For the people in Europe, the Chinese porcelain
and the Ko-Imari had the same value as money
and valuables, and were the symbol of the wealth and
the power. The royal family and the people of the well-off
classes put buying agent of the pottery specialty in
Amsterdam that was the center of Orient trade and
where the Dutch ships entered port and tried to get ahead
of others in buying them. They provided "a room for
porcelain"and distributed them from the floor to the
ceiling so as to fill up the wall, and made the exhibition shelf
called "Po Sen Cabinet" and proudly decorated the articles
which they obtained. They showed off their own power and their
financial ability by being exposing them to public notice ungrudgingly.

The fashion extended in various parts of Europe, and the porcelain was
collected in the palace in every country one after another. Many of these
are the origin of Ko-Imari collections that are displayed in the art museum
and the museum in every country now. Friedrich Augustus I who was
especially enthusiastic collector of Ko-Imari collected Ko-Imari collection
more than 1,000 pieces from the 17th century to the 18th century.
They are world-wide fame, and exhibited and kept in the Touji museum
in Dresden(Germany).The amount that the East India Company imported
from China is about 3 million pieces from 1604 to 1657. It is recorded in
the diary of the chief of the Dejima business firm that the Imariyaki among
those was 1.9 million pieces for 31 years from 1652 to 1683. This is the
amount of only Netherlands, when this added to the amount of other
East India Company, the amount of pottery were carried to Europe proved
to be enormous.

Thus, the Ko-Imari are still known the name as the first international brand
produced in Japan. Moreover, the porcelain manufacturing in Europe
imitated the Kakiemon style and the Ko-Imari style and especially had
much influence on Meissen in Germany and Shanti in France.

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