Hizen porcelain exported to Americas
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: At the end of the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded the Korean Peninsula and brought many Korean potters back to Japan. Initially, they produced stoneware, but in the early 17th century, they began producing porcelain in the Hizen region. This was the first production of porcelain in Japan. At that time, Chinese porcelain dominated the global porcelain market. However, due to the turmoil caused by the transition from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Chinese porcelain exports were disrupted, and Hizen porcelain began to be exported instead. At that time, Japan had restrictions on overseas trade. Only Dutch and Chinese ships were allowed to enter the port of Nagasaki. Therefore, Spanish ships could not enter to Nagasaki, but they were able to obtain Hizen porcelain transported by Chinese ships. Chinese ships transported Hizen porcelain to Manila via Taiwan. Spanish acquired these porcelains and transported them across the Pacific Ocean to Mexico by galleon ships. They were not only transported to Central America but also to South America, including Peru and Colombia. These porcelains were also transported to Spain across the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The main types of Hizen porcelain transported by galleon ships were chocolate cups and Krrack style plates. In Latin America, the proportion of chocolate cups was very high. While coffee cups were more common in other regions, almost all of cups in Latin America were chocolate cups. Krrack style plates came in both high-quality and low-quality varieties, but only high-quality plates were transported to Mexico. Quality was selected during export from Manila. It is not that there was no demand for low-quality plates, but rather that local Puebla ware was used instead of Hizen porcelain. In the latter half of the 17th century, Puebla ware developed. Large quantities of pottery imitating Chinese and Hizen porcelain were produced. The technical origins of Puebla ware lie in Europe. In other words, Puebla ware is a fusion of Western technology and Eastern design. It is evidence of cultural exchange between East and West.
Author: Takenori Nogami
Institution: Nagasaki University
Language: English
Topic: Japanese History and Culture
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4417008248