Thinking about Kenzan with an expert 3/4 ~ What meaning did the literary man Kenzan put into his pottery? ~

December 18, 2024

Interviewee: Akiyoshi Hatanaka (Chief Curatorial Officer, MIHO MUSEUM)

He has been in charge of special exhibitions such as "Shigaraki - Heaven in a Pot" (1999), "Kenzan - A World of Mystery and Elegance" (2004), and "Future of Ancient Pottery - Ceramics of the Middle Ages" (2010). The Kenzan cooking photo book "Beautiful Kenzan Shikisai" (Beautiful Kenzan Shikisai), which he planned, won the Grand Prix (2006) and Best of the Best (2008) in the photography category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, as well as the Best of the Best of 2015.

Interviewer: Masatoshi Yokoyama (Owner of Koto Potter)

Q. Kenzan and the Rinpa School

Yokoyama: We've learned a little bit about Kenzan's pottery and his background through our conversation so far. Next, I'd like to ask about his relationship with the Rinpa school. You said earlier that the Rinpa school was a rebellion against the shogunate, but what does that mean?

Hatanaka-san: During Hideyoshi's time, Kyoto and Osaka were the center of Japan, but in the Edo period, Edo moved there. The political center was taken over by the east. The Rinpa school used paintings to show that Kyoto was the cultural center.

Kyoto City and Surrounding Area Screen Collection: Kyushu National Museum
Image: Colbase
The scenery of Kyoto during Kenzan's time, the Kan'ei era (1624-1645)

Yokoyama : This may sound really rude, but does it mean "Edo is the countryside"?

Hatanaka-san : People say that Kyoto people are sneaky. They say that they don't say what they think clearly, but what they really think is different from what they say. It's a part of their culture that's been around for over a thousand years. They don't say what they think openly, but show it. Isn't bubuzuke (rice with tea) famous? Actually, I've tried it myself (laughs).

(Bubuzuke. In Kyoto, it is said that this is served to guests as a way to encourage them to leave the room.)

Yokoyama : I wasn't born in Kyoto, but I can kind of understand what you're saying ( laughs ) .

Hatanaka-san : Right ( laughs ) . I think that Kyoto's unique way of raising people, where you can get your point across without saying things clearly and you don't cause offense, is a culture that is narrow-minded and deep. That's how the so-called Rinpa school was born. In a way, it was a pride of being from the capital. I think that's what Kenzan and the Rinpa school of art hide in their works.

Q. The meaning behind Kenzan ware

Yokoyama : Personally, I was really curious about the Chinese poems and waka poems depicted in Kenzan's works. Are they all quotations from somewhere?

Hatanaka-san : Almost all of the books have sources. Kenzan inherited many books from his father, and some he may have acquired himself, so I think he had a huge collection of books.

Yokoyama : For example, what kind of books did Kenzan use as references?

Hatanaka-san : There is a famous book called Enkikatsuho. I think I read that book a lot. Most of the works of rust painting, such as square plates, contain poems in Chinese characters, and they are often taken from that book.
Also, many of his waka poems are taken from the Muromachi period poetry collection written by Sanjonishi Sanetaka. I can't say that he wrote absolutely none of his own poems, but he does tend to take them from there.

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu
Image: Colbase
The first half was transcribed by Sanjonishi Sanetaka.

Yokoyama: As we discussed earlier, Kenzan had a considerable amount of knowledge.

Hatanaka-san : Yes. It may seem vulgar, but it could be seen as me showing off my education ( laughs ) . I'm putting how much I know into the pot.

Yokoyama : I see. If you don't know the meaning behind the pottery, you can't appreciate the quality of Kenzan ware. It seems like the knowledge of those who use the pottery is also put to the test.

Hatanaka-san : That's right. People with knowledge can understand the motifs and meanings of the pottery. People who use Kenzan ware can also show that they are cultured.

For example, there is a dish called Tatsuta River, and there are many waka poems that use the river as their theme.

Collection: MIHO MUSEUM
Image: Kenzan - A world of seclusion and elegance - MIHO MUSEUM

Yokoyama : Among Kenzan's works, the Tatsuta River is a very famous piece.

Hatanaka-san : At that time, if the owner had shown this vessel to someone, he probably wouldn't have explained, "This is the Tatsuta River." He would have made the association based on the image of a wave on the maple leaf.

Yokoyama : Is there no explanation?

Hatanaka-san : Yes, I won't explain it. But if you know the song about Tatsuta River, you'll know, "Is this inspired by Tatsuta River?" That knowledge will come to mind. If it's served at a tea ceremony, you can read the song and have a deeper conversation.

Map of the Tatsuta River by Kano
Image: Colbase
The Tatsuta River is a famous spot for autumn leaves, and is also known for a folding screen poem written by Ariwara no Narihira: "Even in the age of the gods, no one has heard of the Tatsuta River turning crimson red" (Kokinshu).

Yokoyama : Now it is well known that this dish depicts the Tatsuta River, but if you were presented with it without knowing about it, you wouldn't imagine anything...

Hatanaka-san : When you look at it as a piece of pottery, you might think it has a beautiful color and an unusual shape, but Kyoto culture is about how an educated person reacts to it when they see it.

Yokoyama : That's... ( laughs ) If you don't understand, the other person will think, "This person is uneducated," and important matters at the tea ceremony will be missed...

Hatanaka-san : Yes, that's right. The creators are aware of that and prepare it accordingly. There are mechanisms to test the opponent.

Yokoyama : It's kind of dirty, or maybe scary... If it were me, I'd probably say, "Wow, what a beautiful dish! I'll have some!"

Hatanaka-san : There are others too. For example, this one.

Colored painted tea bowl with a lid and a thin silvergrass design. Collection: MIHO MUSEUM
Image: Kenzan - A world of seclusion and elegance - MIHO MUSEUM

Hatanaka-san : The word "susuki" means "thin," and these vertical and horizontal lines of rust painting are what make up susuki. It is also a stylized design from the Rinpa school, and once you know it's susuki, you'll understand. Do you know what this green pattern is?

Yokoyama : A mountain...maybe?

Hatanaka-san : There are mountains nearby, but this is a field. It expresses the appearance of a vast plain, a field of silver grass. However, what this vessel expresses is something much deeper. Where do you think the vast plain of that time was, the silver grass field?

Yokoyama : Ah, Edo?

Hatanaka-san: Edo, the Kanto Plain. In other words, it is also connected to the expression Musashino . But we need to go a little further. Musashino is already on the eastern edge from the capital. In the Heian period, it felt like it was not part of Japan.

*Musashino : Musashinohara, the Kanto Plain. Endless plains and famous silver grass.

Musashino Screen, 17th century, Author unknown, Collection: Tokyo National Museum
Image: Colbase

Yokoyama : Oh. Is this another example of a person from the capital sarcastically calling Edo the countryside?

Hatanaka-san : It's different this time ( laughs ) . It represents Ariwara no Narihira's Tale of Ise, in which he leaves the capital and heads eastward in despair.

Narrow Ivy Path Screen Collection: Tokyo National Museum
Image: Colbase
From the ninth chapter of "The Tales of Ise," "Azuma-kudari," a scene in which a broken-hearted man leaves the capital and heads east.

Hatanaka-san : This simple design of three-colored pottery is packed with so much culture and knowledge. It's not just a painting. It has a deep meaning.

Yokoyama : It's even more complex and profound than the Tatsuta River vessels. The mechanism behind it is really fascinating.

Hatanaka-san : Yes, I think Kenzan was really smart and knowledgeable. The information and culture he gained from books, and the way he output it were wonderful.

Yokoyama : So you were creating new works with that idea in mind.

Hatanaka-san : That's right. I think he communicated that to the craftsmen and produced it.

Yokoyama : The amount of creativity put into a single piece of pottery is impressive. Kenzan's work is so numerous that it shows just how much passion he put into making pottery.

Hatanaka-san : That's right. I think I was able to give form to my ideas because I had the sense of creating them myself.

<Continued to part 4>