About Seihakuji
青白磁は、白い石を原料とした磁器土からつくられています。素焼した器に焼くと透明になる釉薬をかけてつくり器の白さを活かしたものを白磁といい、鉄分をふくんだ土に焼くと青緑色になる釉薬をかけてできたものを青磁（青瓷）といいます。
| What is Seihakuji (pale blue porcelain)? |
Seihakuji is made from porcelain clay made from white stones as the raw material. Artworks are created by applying a glaze containing a little iron that gives a bluish tinge when fired onto the bisque-fired vessel, with origins in China. Glaze, which becomes transparent when fired, is applied to highlight the whiteness of the vessel, known as white porcelain. Glaze that turns bluish-green when fired is applied to clay containing iron, creating blue porcelain. The melted blue glaze accumulates in the patterned parts of the vessel, resembling beautiful puddles of water. The difficulty of Seihakuji lies in applying the glaze very thickly, which puts stress on the vessel during firing, making it prone to cracking.
| Making Process of Seihakuji |
① Create patterns on the vessel and bisque-fire
② Apply glaze thick enough to conceal the patterns
③ Complete when bluish tinge appears after firing
④ Sections where the bluish tinge is prominent
＜Source: "What is Traditional Kōgei?" Edited by Japan Kōgei Association East Japan Branch / Published by Unsodo, P.15>
