JC15 Saikai Toki [Porcelain Products] × Barber & Osgerby

The town of Hasami, home to Hasami-yaki ceramics, is located almost in the middle of Nagasaki Prefecture, near the border with Saga Prefecture. In 1599, on the order of Omura Domain (whose territory was largely in what is now the Sonogi district of Nagasaki Prefecture), three kilns were constructed in the town of Hasami, starting Hasami-yaki ceramics. The kilns were operated using the water power from the Hasami River, which flows through the middle of the basin out to Omura Bay. Initially, celadon using pottery stone taken from the upstream village of Mitsunomata was produced, but from the mid-17th century to the early 18th century, when pottery stone which would fire pure white, without any blemishes, was discovered in Amakusa, porcelain is also believed to have been produced in Hasami.
In the Edo period, porcelain was out of reach for most people. However, the Hasami-yaki kilns produced daily utensils with sturdy, simple designs such as kurawanka bowls and Mitsunomata sake jugs. This meant that many people were able to use porcelain in their daily lives. Thus Hasami-yaki, which has continued to heavily influence the development of Japanese cuisine, maintains this perspective and approach to this day as its tradition, producing bowls, dishes, and other items for daily life that are easily accessible and versatile.

In this project, we focused on the culture of Hasami-yaki, with the beauty of its white porcelain and the perspectives and approaches which have been part of peoples’ lives for 400 years. Designers Barber & Osgerby were appointed to work on the new possibility of the technique. Edward Barber visited Hasami right away and commented,”it’s wonderful to see how these small factories come together and how the whole town is involved in supporting this industry. Also, this kind of technical quality, accuracy and care can only be found in Japan.”

After some extensive research, Barber & Osgerby came up with a design for ”lighting.”　With its adorable form, like a cylinder wearing a helmet, the lamp is filled with a soft light whenever it is lit. The lamp utilizes the beauty of “White” and the translucent quality of porcelain. With the friendliness of a daily use item, it enriches our lives as a furnishing. A new kind of porcelain was made.