Traditional Crafts in Aichi

Date when designated as a traditional craft

April 5, 1995

Major products

Flower vases, wine cups, dishes, jewelry boxes, etc.

Local association

Shippo Town Shippoyaki Manufacturers Cooperative
Nagoya Shippo Cooperative
Contact address: Shippo Town Industry Hall
Telephone: 052-443-7588
Facsimile: 052-443-7122

History of manufacturing districts

Owari Shippo dates back to the Tempo era (1830-1844) of the Edo period when Kaji Tsunekichi, who lived in the Owari feudal domain, uncovered clues from Dutch cloisonne and established and improved the manufacturing method.

Features of the products

Ordinary ceramic ware is made by forming and firing clay, whereas Shippo-yaki cloisonne ware is made using a metallic base (of copper or silver), and a vitreous glaze is applied on the surface. The patterns feature kacho-fugetsu (which literally means flowers, birds, wind and the moon) or landscapes. Yusen-Shippo (in which copper wires are used as the outline of a pattern) is a major technique of Owari Shippo.

Manufacturing method

Copper or silver plates are used to shape the metallic base for flower vases or dishes, and patterns are drawn on the surface with Indian ink. In the case of Yusen-Shippo, silver wires are attached to the surface (with a special paste) along the patterns, and a vitreous glaze is applied on the surface before firing. The firing process is repeated about 4-8 times, then the surface is polished and decorated.