Oribe Wares from a Momoyama Kiln
The Pottery Excavated from the Motoyashiki Kiln Site, Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県元屋敷陶器窯跡出土陶器) is 390 pieces of Momoyama to Edo-period pottery excavated from the Motoyashiki kiln site at Kujiri, Izumi-cho, Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, which in 2013 were designated an Important Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records them as archaeological materials owned by Gifu Prefecture and kept at the Toki City Culture Plaza and the Gifu Prefectural Museum.
The Agency explains that they come from the 1931 survey of the site by what was then the Gifu Prefectural Tajimi Technical School.
The Finds
According to the Agency, the discovery of the Mutabora kiln site by Arakawa Toyozo in 1930 spurred surveys of old kilns across the Mino region, which showed that Momoyama tea wares such as Kiseto, Setoguro, Shino and Oribe had been fired there.
The finds centre on the many types of Oribe fired at the Motoyashiki kiln, including Oribe-guro, Kuro-Oribe, Shino-Oribe, Ao-Oribe, So-Oribe, Aka-Oribe, Narumi-Oribe, Mino-Karatsu and Mino-Iga, together with Kiseto and Shino from the earlier large kilns. The Toki City Culture Plaza holds 46 bowls, 2 jars, 40 plates, 17 bottles, 213 dishes and 56 other pieces; the Gifu Prefectural Museum holds 6 dishes and 1 bottle.
What to Look For
The Agency notes that the pieces are generally well preserved, that many highly regarded heirloom pieces were made at this kiln, and that the finds are valuable for understanding Mino pottery in the Momoyama to Edo periods, a turning point in Japanese ceramic history.
Toki City explains that the Motoyashiki kiln in the Oribe no Sato Park is the oldest climbing kiln of the multi-chamber type in Mino, about 24.7 metres long with fourteen firing chambers, where Kuro-Oribe, Ao-Oribe, Shino-Oribe and other wares were made.
Visiting the Pottery Excavated from the Motoyashiki Kiln Site, Gifu Prefecture
The pottery is kept at the Toki City Culture Plaza and the Gifu Prefectural Museum; check each for display dates.
Toki City says the Oribe no Sato Park, where the kiln site lies, is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with free admission, closed on Mondays (Wednesdays after holiday Mondays), the day after holidays and over the New Year. It is about 15 minutes on foot from JR Tokishi Station.
Q&A
- When was the pottery designated?
- On 19 June 2013.
- How many pieces are there?
- 390.
- What wares were made at Motoyashiki?
- Chiefly the many types of Oribe.
- Where is the pottery kept?
- At the Toki City Culture Plaza and the Gifu Prefectural Museum.
- What is the Motoyashiki kiln?
- The oldest multi-chamber climbing kiln in Mino, according to Toki City.
Basic Information
| Name | Pottery Excavated from the Motoyashiki Kiln Site, Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県元屋敷陶器窯跡出土陶器) |
|---|---|
| Location | Toki City Culture Plaza and Gifu Prefectural Museum, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (archaeological materials) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2013/6/19 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 390 pieces |
| Dimensions | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Owner | Gifu Prefecture |
| Public Access | Check display dates with each museum |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Motoyashiki Kiln Site Pottery (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/00011593
- Cultural Heritage Online: Motoyashiki Kiln Site Pottery (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/214677
- Toki City: Motoyashiki Kiln Site (Japanese)
- https://www.city.toki.lg.jp/kanko/bunkazai/1004852/1004853/1006503/1003297.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28