Spot

Kosei Matsui was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1927. He was recognized as a Preserver of Important Intangible Cultural Properties - in this case, as the individual who owns the "neriage" ceramic technique - or a Living National Treasure. The "neriage" technique can be used to create various decorative patterns by combining sheets of different types of clay. This technique requires a high level of skill, because it relies on the use of multiple types of clay with different physical properties. Differences in the coefficient of shrinkage among the different types of clay can cause cracks during drying or firing. Ceramic-ware made by Kosei Matsui had a powerful effect on younger potters, who admired his highly creative ceramic art, established on the basis of traditional pottery techniques in Japan.