Zeze ware

Zeze ware (膳所焼, Zeze-yaki) is a type of Japanese pottery traditionally from Ōtsu, in the former Zeze Domain in Ōmi Province. It is one of Enshū's Seven Kilns.^[1] Zeze ware is characterised by being extremely thin and light, using a technique called mizu-hiki that adds a small amount of water to the potter's wheel. The majority of works made in Zeze ware are used for tea ceremony.^[2]

Despite its popularity with Enshū and his contemporaries, Zeze ware declined in the 18th century. In 1919, a local benefactor named Iwasaki Kenzo revived Zeze ware by opening a new kiln under the guidance of a master ceramist from Kyoto.^[3][4] Iwasaki's oldest son, Shinjo Iwasaki (1913-2009), continued the tradition of Zeze pottery.^[5][6]

A museum dedicated to Zeze ware was established in Ōtsu, Shiga in 1987.^[3][5]