Kuromuta pottery 黒牟田焼

Kuromuta ware is pottery made in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture. It is considered folk pottery like Onta ware. They used to make all kinds of everyday items that the common people throughout Hizen used.In the Meiji era, they had 40 kilns, but currently they have just one, Maruta Nobumasa’s kiln. In the 1960s–70s, the late Maruta Masami also participated in making Kuromuta ware. Maruta is known to have trained under Hamada Shoji, who holds an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure). Maruta was known as “One of the artists that represent the folk art of the west.” However, in