[VILLAGE Report vol.39] The production area of the word “mingei” | Tochigi Prefecture

Tochigi Prefecture’s nationally designated crafts are Mashiko ware and Yuki-tsumugi silk the 2 items. Tenmyo cast metalwork and Nikko carving is designated as a prefectural traditional craft.

Everyday ware gained a name

Mashiko ware is a relatively new kiln tradition that began at the end of the Edo period.

What was first made there was water jars, clay pots, bowls. They were everyday wares sent to Tokyo.

What changed the situation was the Mingei movement led by Shoji Hamada and others It was the idea that “beauty is found precisely in daily tools made by unnamed artisans.”

This is a completely different path of development from the other production areas we have seen in this series.

In Ishikawa (vol.31), the domain provided funds; in Kyoto (vol.22), customers were right in front of the makers. Mashiko is a production area where “words of appreciation” arrived later.

Even when the same things are being made, once words exist to explain them, the way their value is seen changes.

Matsumoto furniture in Nagano (vol.28) was also a craft organized within the same Mingei movement. Two production areas were gathered up by the same way of thinking.

Kettles and carving

Tenmyo cast metalwork is iron casting said to have more than 1,000 years of history, centered on Sano City. Tea ceremony kettles are its representative works.

Takaoka copperware in Toyama (vol.32) is cast copper, while Nanbu ironware in Iwate (vol.44) is cast iron. Tenmyo is said to belong to an older lineage than either of them.

Nikko carving is said to have begun when artisans gathered for the construction of Nikko Toshogu Shrine carved pieces between jobs.

Saitama’s Iwatsuki dolls (vol.36) are also said to have begun with craftspeople who gathered for the same construction of Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

One building, then, created crafts in two prefectures.

The defining feature of Nikko carving is scratch knife a distinctive blade. Because it carves by pulling, it creates smooth curves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does Mashiko ware have a fixed form?
A. There is no strict style. The basic principle is to use local clay and glaze, and its characteristic is the wide range of expression from maker to maker. For that reason, it is also known as a production area where new artists from outside can easily enter.

Next issue, we go to Gunma, with the story of “Nishijin in the west, Kiryu in the east.”

References: Tochigi Prefecture, Mashiko Town, Sano City, Nikko City, Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries

—The Value Village Editorial Team