Urushi Studies – tagged "ishikawa" – Page 5 – ZenKiln

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Yamanaka Lacquerware: Japan's Wood-Turned Urushi Tradition Explore Yamanaka lacquerware: woodturning, grain-revealing urushi, tea utensils, and the distinction between traditional wooden work and modern resin...
Wajima-nuri: The Foundations of an Urushi Lacquerware Tradition How Wajima-nuri is built, from cloth reinforcement and ji-no-ko foundations to plain lacquer, chinkin and maki-e, with advice...

Craft & Kilns

Deep dives into kilns, glazes, and the wares behind them.

Kutani plates, vase, teacup, and stoneware bowl displaying aote, akae, and gold enamel styles

Kutani

Kutani Ware History: Ko-Kutani, Yoshidaya, and Japan Kutani

Kutani village history, Arita evidence for Ko-Kutani-style porcelain, Yoshidaya’s revival, and Meiji exports—without dating objects from style or marks alone.

Equal-size red and blue Edo Kiriko tumblers with sharp kagome and yarai cut patterns

Kiln Study

Edo Kiriko: Tokyo Cut Glass, Its Patterns and Care

Pale Hagi ware teabowls, cups, and a sake flask arranged on a quiet Japanese table

Kiln Study

Hagi Ware: Yamaguchi Tea Ceramics and the Seven Changes

Blue-and-white Hasami porcelain bowls, cups, and plates set for an everyday meal

Kiln Study

Hasami Ware: Nagasaki Porcelain for Everyday Tables

Browse all studies

Care & Guides

Practical reading for the pieces you use every day.

View all care guides

Series

Four collections of stories on tea bowls, lacquer, color and care.

Teabowl Studies

Teabowl Studies

Reading the chawan — kilns, glazes, and how a bowl is held

Urushi Studies

Urushi Studies

The craft of Japanese lacquer, layer by layer

Color of Utsuwa

Color of Utsuwa

How Japanese ceramics found their palette

Object Care

Object Care

How to live with handmade objects

All Stories

Browse the Journal, newest first. For our specialist collections, visit Series above.

A pale-celadon side-handle kyusu teapot with two yunomi cups of green sencha on linen by a window.

The Beginner's Tea Set: What You Need to Brew Sencha at Home

A classic white Yakushi-style porcelain maneki neko with a raised paw, gold collar bell, and an auspicious chest inscription, on linen by a shoji screen

Yakushi Kiln (Yakushigama): Seto's Modern Maneki Neko Tradition

Japan's Pottery Regions: A Guide to Japanese Ceramics

Japan's Pottery Regions: A Guide to Japanese Ceramics

A matte stoneware cup beside a glossy white porcelain cup on linen, showing the two materials side by side.

Japanese Stoneware vs Porcelain: Five Clues and Their Limits

ZenKiln Journal graphic titled “What Is Furin? A Guide to Japanese Wind Chimes,” featuring three hanging Japanese wind chimes, including a cat-shaped bell and two floral ceramic bells with paper strips.

Gifts & Occasions

What Is Furin? Japanese Wind Chimes and the Sound of Summer

ZenKiln Journal graphic titled “Maneki-neko Meaning and Origins: Understanding Japan’s Lucky Cat,” featuring a white maneki-neko figurine with a raised paw, gold coin, and cherry blossoms.

Maneki Neko Meaning and Origins: What Japan’s Lucky Cat Really Means

ZenKiln Journal graphic titled “Maneki Neko Color Meanings: What Each Lucky Cat Color Means,” featuring four ceramic lucky cat figurines and text explaining that white symbolizes purity, black protection, red health, and gold wealth.

Maneki Neko Color Meanings: What Each Lucky Cat Color Means

ZenKiln Journal graphic titled “A Beginner’s Guide to Kutani Ware: Color, Craftsmanship, and Everyday Beauty,” featuring a close-up of a richly decorated Kutani ceramic plate with colorful floral patterns.

What Is Kutani Ware? A Beginner’s Guide to Japan’s Colorful Porcelain