15. Nonomura Ninsei

 Until his appearance, the Kyo-yaki works (including Awatayaki) were only with glaze, or under glaze painting (Sabie-sometsuke); drawn with rusty color and cobalt blue paint.  Ninsei introduced the technique of over glaze painting using with red, blue, green, purple, gold, and silver colors. For his decorations he used traditional themes such as waves or foliage, and then applied splashing glazes ofte using a counter-drip cross flow by turning the object over. Ninsei also used motifs from inktscroll painters as Muromachi to create masterpieces in his own style.  Nonomura Ninsei is considered to be the first potter who included not just the name of the kiln but the seal of the artist on his pottery to designate his work.

The beauty of his colorful and elegantly shaped ceramics, especially his chatsubo (tea jars) were celebrated, and his attention to fine detail and brilliant use of design was cherished by many of the feudal lords and court nobles. No single potter has a greater influence on later Japanese pottery,  and his work only can be seen in the musea as Important Cultural Property.  Ocassionally a Ninsei signed work is offered at auction, referring to the imprinted Mark what is underneath. Be aware that Ninsei style objects signed with his seal were already made in late edo and early Meiji period, as is mentioned by James Lord Bowes (Japanese Marks and Seals- 1882). So these objects can be old, but certainly not made by the master.