As I mentioned in a previous article on white porcelain, people in every period have longed for white vessels.
For example, white porcelain called hakuji, which is made from tōseki porcelain stone, is an innovative type of pottery invented in China. At the same time, a pottery technique was invented on the Korean Peninsula to produce white ware using the traditional pottery material of tōdo porcelain clay. White pottery made using this technique is categorised as “Funseisaki (Buncheong ware)”.

The process of making Funseisaki ware is as follows:
1.Use a brown or black tōdo clay containing iron to mould the vessel;
2.Apply a white engobe over the surface;
3.Fire with a glassy transparent glaze.
Based on these three processes, Funseisaki ware can be described as “white ceramics coated with an engobe over dark-coloured clay”.

This pottery technique, which swept the Korean Peninsula mainly in the 15th century, was eventually introduced to the Japanese archipelago. From the Momoyama period onwards, it spread to pottery studios in various parts of Japan while producing a variety of styles.
In this development, a simple style in which the entire surface of the ware is covered with a white engobe was given the name kohiki, and its relaxed, simple appearance attracted the hearts of the Momoyama tea masters.

While the surface of hakuji made from materials with higher purity will not change even after long use, kohiki vessels made from tōdo clay absorb water and change their appearance with each use. As the colours of the tea and food soak into the vessels, their pigments cause cracks called kannyu and stains called amamori (meaning “leaking of rain”) to appear, changing the texture of the vessels.
In Japan, these changes have not been recognised as staining or deterioration, but have been appreciated as “scenery”.
This aesthetic sense of “appreciating changes” may be said to be indicative of the mentality of Japanese culture, which has evolved through acceptance of the changing nature of life.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the production of Funseisaki ware in the Korean Peninsula was discontinued and cutting-edge white porcelain took centre stage in the pottery world. However, Funseisaki ware that fascinated the Momoyama tea masters continued to be loved mainly in the world of the tea ceremony even after porcelain production began, and is still highly popular amongst pottery lovers.

People who are familiar with pottery often use the word “nurture” to describe how the texture of a vessel changes over time, and I believe that kohiki embodies this concept and fits the sensibilities of the Japanese people.
If you have a piece of kohiki, don’t put it away for later use, but use it at the dining table every day and observe the changes it undergoes. If you think that a part of your daily life is reflected in it, you will become even more attached to the ever-changing white colour of kohiki.