Fujina ware is pottery made in the Fujina area in Tamayu Town, Shimane Prefecture. It is believed that Fujina ware originated in 1750, when Funaki Yojibei Muramasa established a kiln in Fujina. Later on, in 1780, Tsuchiya Zenshiro Yoshikata (current Uzen kiln) left Rakuzan ware and moved to Fujina as a domain-appointed pottery instructor, and established the first official kiln under the orders of Matsudaira Harusato (Lord Fumai), tea master and feudal lord of the Matsue Domain. With the start of the Meiji era, the domain stopped supporting the kiln, so they had to become independent as a private kiln. They made everyday items, some of which had a yellow background glaze with colored artwork on top. Others were coated with a blue glaze called “Izumo blue background glaze.” Their business flourished, and they frequently exported their items overseas for a while. In the Showa era, many kilns shut down due to the global recession. The heads of Fujina ware, Funaki Michitada and Fukuma Takashi, were influenced by the folk art movement of Yanagi Muneyoshi. They were guided by Hamada Shoji, Kawai Kanjiro, and Bernard Leach, and were able to find a way to restore Fujina ware. japanese-ceramics.com/fujina-ware-%E5%B8%83%E5%BF%97%E5%90%8D%E7%84%BC/
Funaki Kenji 船木研児 1927-
Born in Shimane prefecture. Dropped out of the Shimane Normal School, followed his father, Michitada in creating ceramics, and participated in the Mingei Movement led by Yanagi Muneyoshi and Kawai Kanjiro. Later studied under Hamada Shoji and Bernard Leach. Kokuga Association Award. Japan Folk Crafts Museum Award. Japan Ceramics Society Award and more. Held solo exhibitions at various Mitsukoshi stores including Nihonbashi and Osaka. Various skills such as straw painting, finger painting, color glaze, and mud painting. japanese-ceramics.com/funaki-kenji-%e8%88%b9%e6%9c%a8%e7%a0%94%e5%85%90/
Izumo Jakuzan ware (Wakayama ware) 出雲若山
出雲若山 With colors including creamy whites (usually the base color), shades of green (by far the most common glaze), yellow, and brown. Frequently with overglaze silver painted designs of dragons (which are often heavily worn away). Sometimes with underglaze designs, and sometimes with Satsuma style overglaze painted designs. Sometimes confused with Satsuma (due to the similar creamy earthenware with a crackle glaze) or Awaji (because of the similar green glaze often used with Awaji (also Awaji sometimes did similar painted designs). Note that the small purple vase in the group photo above is actually Awaji, but I included it because of the similar overglaze painted design. http://modernjapanesepotterymarks.blogspot.com/2016/07/izumo-wakayama-ware.html