The village of Kutani, in the domain of the Daishoji clan (present-day Yamanaka-Onsen-Kutani-machi, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture), is a snowy mountain village near the sacred Mount Hakusan.

The heavy snow in winter makes the landscape monochrome, and takes the warmth and color from the people who live there.
It was in this severe climate that Kutani ware originated.

The outstanding Ko-Kutani pieces remain undiminished; they continue to fascinate people.

The design and composition are excellent, the lines strong, and the colors bold.

Having made it through the severe winter, the craftsmen were hungry for the new life and changing colors of nature that spring would eventually bring. They imbued their work with those colors and that new life.

There are various styles of Ko-Kutani ware. Potters did not copy one another; they undoubtedly prided themselves in searching for their own originality.

The artistry, traditions and spirit of Ko-Kutani have been passed down to the present day, and many new, appealing styles of Kutani ware continue to be developed.

The deep snow of a severe winter
melts to form a babbling brook,
and the clear water from gorges, which nourishes the earth, flows incessantly.

Through the “Kaga-no-Kutani” project, we would like to disseminate the climate, history and culture of Kutani ware, which has been passed down through the generations and is still very much alive today.