17. Suwa Sozan

SOZAN

There were more Sozans working in Meiji period, signing with different Marks. 素山, 祖山,  蘇山 , 宋山,  宗山  and 淙山 all can be read as Sozan. However , there are two artists with the name Sozan whose work are of remarkable high quality, and both have a strong connection with the Kinkozan company. For this reason they are often mixed up, and seen as one and the same person.  In fact, the first Sozan (Suwa Sozan) was a ceramic artist (potter), while the other was a decorator (painter).  Suwa Sozan signed with an impressed mark 蘇山  and the decorator Sozan signed with a painted mark  素山,  frequently seen together with the Kinkozan mark, but also with the Yasuda mark or as a single mark. They are for sure two different persons, though both are important names in Kinkozan history and working in the same period.

In 1907 he left Kinkozan and started his own porcelain factory in Gojozaka in Kyoto, producing sophisticated items, modelled on traditional Chinese and Korean ware with overglazed decoration. He became famous for his celadon ware and was appointed Teishitsu Gigeiin n 1917, what can be considered as a precursor to the modern day Ningen Kokuho or National Living Treasure. The Teishitsu Gigei-in (imperial Court Artist) were members of the Imperial Art Academy and there were only five Pottery artists ever named Teishitsu Gigei-in:  Ito Tozan, Suwa Sozan, Itaya Hazan, Miyagawa Kozan, and Seifu Yohei III. Suwa Sozan I died in 1922 in Kyoto and was succeeded by his adopted daughter Suwa Sozan II. 

 Suwa Sozan I

The Suwa Sozan dynasty

Suwa Sozan I was appointed imperial court artist and was known for his celadons in the style of the Chinese Longquan wares of the Sung and later dynasties. He was the first of four generations to bear the name Suwa Sozan and all became masters of celadon. In Japan the name therefore became synonymous with celadon of the highest quality.

Sozan II (1890 - 1977) was the niece of Sozan I whom he adopted as his own daughter at a very young age. In terms of technique and artistry, her work was of equal quality to that of her father, but according to many, it is distinguished by a 'feminine' touch of refinement and elegance, which you do not often encounter in the oeuvre of Suwa Sozan I. Her work was very popular with the imperial family for its elegance.

Suwa Sozan III (1932-2005) was the son of the famous ceramicist Yonezawa Soho. He studied at Kyoto Art University and worked with Suwa Sozan II from 1960. In 1970 he adopted the name Suwa Sozan III.

Suwa Sozan IV (b. 1970) was the daughter of Suwa Sozan III and learned the art of pottery from her father and at the Kyoto Municipal Traditional Industrial Technical Training Institute. After her education, she worked for her father and became the 4th generation Suwa Sozan after his retirement in 2002.