The charm of pottery from Kyotanba, Nagata Kobo
Nagata Takao runs his pottery studio, Nagata Kobo, in Kyotanba, a rural area in the west of Kyoto Prefecture, close to the Sea of Japan.
Born in Kyoto, Nagata is a veteran ceramic artist with a career spanning over 50 years.
This charming pottery studio, renovated from an old house, produces attractive ceramic dishes.
Natural light pours in through the windows in the quiet workshop, and the sound of Nagata's hands moving can be heard.
The shapes are made using the embossing technique, in which flattened clay is pressed one piece at a time into a mold with the fingers.
The painting was done by his wife, who was once a Kyoto Yuzen artisan.
The pale indigo color of the underglaze porcelain and the delicate brushwork are appealing, resulting in a piece that exudes understated beauty and harmony without being overly assertive.
The transparent shine of the white porcelain and the rustic texture of the pottery are both characteristic of Nagata's work.
Although simple, these pieces have a certain dignified presence and bring comfort to anyone who picks them up.
Nagata will continue to create tableware that will add color to our daily lives. The careful thought that goes into each and every one of them will be conveyed through the ages.
Ceramic history
Nagata Studio Takao Nagata (pen name: Gassan)
Born in Kyoto in 1953
Graduated from the Department of Ceramics at Nara College of Art in 1973. Studied under Asao Takashima at the craft studio Heian Touen in Kyoto.
1978: Selected for the Kyoto Craft Exhibition
1990: Established a kiln in Mizuho-cho, Funai-gun, Kyoto Prefecture