MISCELLANEOUS WARES
green, yellow, or reddish brown colour. In this species of Awaji-yaki there is little or no crackle. The second sort closely resembles Awata faience. It has delicate yellowish or cream-white glaze, covered with a network of fine or bold crackle. The glazing material of this species is of similar composition to that of Satsuma or Kyōtō. On both of the above varieties designs are painted in strong black outlines, or in enamels more or less transparent.
An analysis of the Awaji-ware mass by Mr. Korschelt showed the following composition:—
AWAJI-WARE MASS
| Silica. | Alumina. | Iron Oxide. |
Lime, Potash, etc. |
Water. | |
| Specimen from Ineda-mura . . . | 63.67 | 3.04 | 0.38 | 2.91 | 3.52 |
This mass was found to be a mixture of eight parts of clay and two parts of stone, both obtained from a place called Ike-no-uchi, in the island of Awaji. Specimens of the ware manufactured from the mixture were very white and hard. They appeared to have been exposed to the full heat of the Japanese oven. The fracture was smooth and lustrous, slightly transparent at the edges, and resembling the fracture of European porcelain. In fact, the pâte of the best Awaji ware may be classed as a porcelain, although green or yellow lead-glaze gives it the appearance of faience.
Mimpei himself did not much affect the use of enamel decoration, though he used it occasionally with great success, as might be anticipated from his intimate association with Shūhei, of Kyōtō. The present artists of Awaji resort more freely to this style. Some of their pieces, covered with cream-white crackle glaze and having decoration in enamel colours, are at once rich and solid. The Awaji glazes are peculiarly wax-like and smooth to the touch. They are generally made of an easily fusible mixture
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