WARES OF SATSUMA
called Saburohei or Kihei, thus became the founder of the Kawara family, which long remained conspicuous among the Satsuma experts. Prince Yoshihiro died in the era of Genna (1615–1623), but the potteries established by him continued to flourish under the direction of Hōchiu, who survived until 1636. Prince Yoshihiro's successor directed Koemon, a son of Kawara Kihei, to open a separate factory at a place called Yamamoto, authorising him, at the same time, to adopt the family name of Yamamoto. Thus Hōchiu's descendants were divided into two branches, the Kawara family, founded by his son Kisaburo, and the Yamamoto family, founded by his grandson Koemon. Kawara Kisaburo's second son, Tobei, succeeded him in the direction of the Hiki-yama factory, but about the year 1650 the two families reunited and established themselves at Tatsumonji, in the Oyamada district in Osumi. The reason of this change of place was the discovery, in the Oyamada region, of a white stone from which it was found possible to manufacture pâte of much finer quality and purer colour than anything previously produced. The potters were no longer under the munificent patronage of Prince Yoshihiro. They still enjoyed a large measure of support from the house of Shimazu, but it would scarcely have been within their competence to move their kilns to Tatsumonji had they not received assistance from a wealthy farmer, by name Yoshiemon, who, out of pure love of the keramic art, contributed one-half of the money required to make the change. From this time they were able to add another variety to their manufactures, namely, faience covered with greyish white glaze finely crackled.
139
