Sakaida Kakiemon XV

Profile

1968
Born in Arita, Saga Prefecture on April 17
1991
Dropped out of the Department of Painting, Tama Art University
1991
Started studying under Kakiemon XIV
2010
Selected for the first time at the 45th Seibu Traditional Crafts Exhibition
Selected for the first time at the 57th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition
2012
Became a member of the Arita Ceramic Art Association
2013
Appointed as the president of the Preservation of Important Intangible Cultural Property Group (Kakiemon Pottery Technique Preservation Society)
Became an official member of the Japan Kōgei Association
Awarded the Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting Prize at the 48th Seibu Traditional Crafts Exhibition
2014
Succeeded the name of Sakaida Kakiemon XV on February 4
Became a member of the Saga Ceramic Art Association

Present  Director of the Japan Kōgei Association Seibu Branch, Director of the Saga Ceramic Art Association, Vice-chairman of the Arita Ceramic Art Association,
Visiting professor at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Kyushu Sangyo University, and Visiting professor at the Faculty of Art and Regional Design, Saga University

Personal exhibitions/expositions

Personal exhibitions/expositions

July 23 – 29, 2014
Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store
October 9 – 14, 2014
Tobu Utsunomiya Department Store
October 23 – 29, 2014
Tokiwa Department Store Oita Main Store
February 17 – 23, 2015
Fukuoka Mitsukoshi
July 8 – 14, 2015
Takashimaya Osaka Store
July 21 – 27, 2015
Sogo Yokohama
October 7 – 12, 2015
Saga Tamaya
November 11 – 17, 2015
Matsuzakaya Nagoya Department Store
March 2 – 7, 2016
Onuma Yamagata Main Store
June 15 – 21, 2016
Chiba Mitsukoshi
July 20 – 26, 2016
Saikaya Fujisawa Store
September 1 – 6, 2016
Nagano Tokyu Department Store
November 10 – 14, 2016
Izutsuya Kokura

Kakiemon style

With expanding export market demand in around 1659, production of porcelain decorated with overglaze enamels in Arita greatly increased. As a result, skills for mixing white and flawless porcelain clay rapidly improved. It was at this point that polychrome overglaze enamel decorated porcelain with elegant and brightly colored  pictorial designs on a milky white porcelain body was born. This style was established in the 1670s, and is known as the classic ‘Kakiemon style.’
Kakiemon style polychrome overglaze enamel porcelain was highly valued not only in Japan but also abroad. Kakiemon style porcelains were exported widely and in great quantity to Europe through the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Nobility and the upper classes of the period coveted this new style of elegant porcelain, and some even squandered their fortunes in order to adorn their residences with Kakiemon style porcelain.
Kakiemon style continued to be the most popular type of overglaze porcelain created in Arita until the end of the 1690s. During this period, classic Kakiemon style was made on milky white porcelain bodies, and on porcelain with a slight bluish tinge, as well as porcelain decorated with underglaze cobalt blue designs. Today these types of porcelain are all grouped under the broad category of Kakiemon  style.

Nigoshide, a milky white porcelain body

The water that remains after uncooked rice is washed is called nigoshi in the Saga area dialect.

The term Nigoshide refers to a milky white porcelain body that glows with a warm tint, and is reminiscent of rice-water. Nigoshide is unique to the Kakiemon Kiln. Nigoshide is made from raw materials harvested from Izumiyama, Arita in a special combination with an original process. While white porcelain usually sports a blue tint, Nigoshide porcelain has a soft milky white sheen. Nigoshide was invented in the 1670s as the perfect porcelain body that would compliment the brilliant polychrome overglaze enamel colors created by Kakiemon. High quality flawless porcelain bodies continue to be created incorporating improvements discovered since the initial Kakiemon style was first established. 

The harmonious beauty of a milky white body decorated with elegant, brightly colored overglaze enamel designs was highly valued not only in Japan but also abroad. Kakiemon style porcelains were exported widely to Europe through the Du tch East India Company (VOC) since 1659.
However, Nigoshide ceased to be created in the middle of Edo period (18th century) owing to difficulty of obtaining raw material and the elaborate production process. After a long period of absence, Kakiemon XII and his son Kakiemon XIII successfully reproduced the original Nigoshide by carefully studying family archival documents passed down in the family during the Edo period. In 1971 the Nigoshide technique was designated by the Japanese government as an Important Intangible Cultural Property and continues to be highly regarded around the world today.

The Nigoshide technique has been inherited by Kakiemon XIV, who has further developed the potential of Kakiemon style porcelain by fusing this warm white porcelain body with innovative designs inspired by nature found in the neighboring  Aso and Kokonoe mountain areas.

Access and Transport

352 Nanzan Tei, Arita-cho, Nishimatsuura-gun, Saga Prefecture, 844-0028, Japan

Tel. 0955-43-2267

- Tokyo store -
6-19-44 Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3586-3841
- Osaka store -
2-3-17-401 Tamatsukuri,
Chuo-ku, Osaka
Tel. 06-6809-7554

View on Google map >

From Saga Airport
By car: 75 minutes
From Nagasaki Airport
By car: It takes approximately 55 minutes to the Hasami Arita I.C. (Please use the Nagasaki Expressway and the Nishi Kyushu Expressway), then a further 12 minutes to the Kakiemon Kiln.
From Fukuoka Airport
By car:
It takes approximately 90 minutes to the Hasami Arita I.C. (Please use the Kyushu Expressway, the Nagasaki Expressway, and the Nishi Kyushu Expressway), then a further 12 minutes to the Kakiemon Kiln.
By train:
Fukuoka Airport to Hakata Station on the subway  service takes approximately 5 minutes. Change at Hakata Station for the JR Express to Arita (the train ride takes 80 minutes). The Kakiemon Kiln is located about 7 minutes away by car from Arita Station.
From Sasebo Train Station
Please take the JR Express from Sasebo Station to Arita (30 minutes). It is a further 7 minutes by car from Arita Station.
From Arita Station to Kakiemon Kiln
From Arita Station to Kakiemon Kiln, there is a distance of about 2.3 km. It takes about 7 minutes by taxi, about 35 minutes on foot.
Other access information
By car:
65 minutes from Dazaifu I.C.
50 minutes from Tosu I.C.
35 minutes from Saga Yamato I.C.
15 minutes from Takeo kitagata I.C.
55 minutes from Nagasaki Airport
90 minutes from Fukuoka Airport

(to Hasami Arita I.C.)

Please note

Please note that there are numerous imitations of Nigoshide  style, polychrome overglaze enamels and underglaze cobalt blue Kakiemon porcelain. When you do not purchase a Kakiemon porcelain directly from the Kakiemon Kiln, affiliated branch, a registered dealer or department store, we ask that you take extra care to ensure that the work you purchase is a true Kakiemon piece.