In the early Showa Period, when Mino region rejoiced over the revival of Mino-Momoyama ware, there was a potter who was infatuated with the old Mino ware in Toki City, which is dotted with ruins of kilns, from which shards of Shino and Oribe ware were excavated in large quantities. The potter, Hayashi Kagemasa (1891-1988), whose original name is Katō Kenzō, was born in a family operating in the ceramic industry. While working on the family business, he walked around the neighboring kiln sites to look for shards which he could use as models of the lost Mino-Momoyama ware, and passionately attempted to reproduce them with his younger brother, Sōichi. In 1934 (Shōwa 9), Kagemasa was invited by a prosperous businessman, Maeyama Hisakichi, to Kamakura City and started working on pottery-making there, during which he interacted with Kitaōji Rosanjin and broadened his knowledge and experience. In the following year of 1935 (Shōwa 10), Kagemasa built Ototsuka kiln in Toki and continued devoting himself to recreate Mino-Momoyama ware.
In 1950 (Shōwa 25), about the same time of his younger brother Sōichi succeeded to the 12th generation of his family’s lineage as Katō Kageaki, Kenzō started using his potter’s name Hayashi Kagemasa. In 1957 (Shōwa 32), Kageaki was accredited as a holder of Gifu Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property in Shino and Oribe ware. Kagemasa, who struggled for reproducing every kind of old Mino ware, such as kiseto (yellow Seto ware), setoguro (black Seto ware), Shino and Oribe, was also accredited to it in the field of kiseto in 1958 (Shōwa 33). In the time period that many new “ceramic artists” appeared in various locations, Kagemasa recognized himself as a “potter” and was in tireless pursuit for the lost techniques of Mino-Momoyama ware, and created numerous works in his artistic practice which spanned five decades, until he turned over 80 years old.
After more than 30 years since his death, this exhibition introduces newly acquired works of his by the museum and looks back from the viewpoint of Hayashi Kagemasa, a potter from Mino who made brilliant achievements through the three continuing eras – Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa.