Oribe

Dating back to the 16th century, Oribe ware pottery is rarely found outside of Japanese ceramics. The brilliant green of Oribe surfaces is due to a glaze rich in copper. During the firing, the copper reacts in the heat of the kiln with silica in the clay, producing a transparent glaze surface with a distinctive emerald colour.

Often the unglazed areas of an Oribe ware pot are decorated with iron brush strokes which, when fired, become a bold orange or rust-red colour, contrasting beautifully with the cool green glaze.

Narumi Oribe is a style of Oribe ware made using two different coloured clay bodies. The lower part of the pot being made in red clay and decorated with bold white slip painted designs, whilst the upper part of the pot is made in white clay and covered with the vivid green glaze, the pale clay body bringing out the brilliance of the Oribe glaze.