Nigōshide 濁手 Kakiemon 柿右衛門

Nigōshide 濁手 (written on box top) refers to milky white porcelain that was reproduced by Sakaida Kakiemon XII & XIII in 1953. The design on the guinomi is of ichigo/苺 (written on box top), or more precisely kusaichigo/草苺/wild strawberry/Rubus hirsutus (see https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/クサイチゴ) or yamaichigo/山イチゴ/mountain strawberry. See: https://en.nanatsuboshi-gallery.jp/user_data/artists_detail.php?artist_id=111 for a history of Kakiemon pottery.

Kakiemon, the colorful and decorative style of porcelain is named after the illustrious family that perfected the wares in the Arita area of Kyushu. It is well-known that since the early Edo period, Kakiemon porcelains have been exported to Europe and treasured all over the world.

Sakaida Kakiemon, the current fourteenth generation head of the family is known for works that showcase strong compositional motifs based on his studies in Nihonga or Japanese-style painting prior to his training in porcelain production with both his grandfather (Kakiemon XII, 1878–1963) and his father (Kakiemon XIII, 1906–1982). He was designated a Living National Treasure in 2001 for his excellence in overglazed enamel porcelains. His works display the harmonious combination of traditional colors and motifs in the Kakiemon style infused with his own contemporary artistic sensibilities that he cultivated through his training as a Nihonga painter.

The beauty of Kakiemon porcelain lies not only in the finished product; the appeal of Kakiemon is in the perfect balance between the richly colored and delicately executed enamel paintings against the pure white grounds of negative space. The special white porcelain base called nigoshide (milk-white base), specific to Kakiemon porcelain, was invented in the late seventeenth century by the first generation of Arita ware producers. There was a time in the eighteenth century when porcelain production by the Kakiemon family came to a halt but it was Sakaida Kakiemon’s father, Kakiemon XIII who succeeded in reviving the tradition. In 1955 the nigoshide technique itself received the designation Intangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government.

Works made by the head of the family are not marked, but are painted on a pure milky-white background and the box is marked Nigoshide/濁手. If the piece is not milky-white and the box is marked Nishikide/錦手 then it is a kiln piece made by apprentices. The painting is ichigo/苺 that looks like a raspberry but is a wild strawberry that grows in forests and is usually referred to as kusaichigo (Rubus hirsutus). See https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/クサイチゴ

See: Frederick Baekeland, ed., Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections, pgs. 114-117

１９３４年　佐賀県で１３代柿右衛門の息子として生まれる。
１９５８年　多摩美術大学日本画科卒業。
　　　　　　　１２代１３代に師事。
１９７１年　日本工芸会正会員。
１９８２年　１４代酒井田柿右衛門襲名。
　　　　　　 日本工芸会理事就任。
　　　 　　　重要無形文化財団保持（総合指定）代表に就任。
１９８３年　サンフランシスコ名誉市民の称号を受ける。
１９８４年　日本陶磁協会賞受賞。
１９８６年　日本工芸会奨励賞受賞。
１９９７年　佐賀県陶芸協会会長に就任。
１９９８年　外務大臣表彰。
１９９９年　文部大臣表彰。
２０００年　有田陶芸協会会長に就任。
２００１年　佐賀県立有田窯業大学校長に就任。
　　　　　　 重要無形文化財保持者に認定 。
２００５年　旭日中綬章受章。
２００６年　有田町名誉町民の称号を受ける 。
　　　　 　　日本工芸会副理事長に就任。
２００７年　西日本文化賞受賞。
２００９年　第56回日本伝統工芸展審査委員に就任。
２０１３年　７８歳で死去。
父１３代と祖父１２代が復活させた江戸期の乳白色の生地「濁手（にごしで）」の技法を学びました。
山ツツジや山イチゴ、タデなどの草花を精緻に描き、赤絵や余白の美を現代風に発展させ、その美しさを世界に広めました。
柿右衛門様式で重要無形文化財の総合指定・色絵磁器で人間国宝の認定。 後進の育成にも力を入れ、国内だけでなく海外でも高い評価を集めました。