“Momoco” is a newly-launched brand of figurines made of Arita porcelain.
It is a special collaboration between the skilled craftsmen of Arita and various talented Japanese artists, bringing to light the beauty and perfection Arita porcelain holds through the exquisite traditional techniques that have been passed down for more than 400 years.
Made to be by your side at all times, whether on happy occasions or sad, our figurines will watch over you through childhood and on, sharing every precious memory with you.
size/65×65×110mm
*The size and the weight are varied depending on the manufacturer and the manufactured date.
The Nabeshima Kiln was established in the late 1600s as the official kiln of the Saga Domain,
run by the Nabeshima Clan. As the 19th head of this kiln,
Mr. Kozan Ichikawa continues to strive forward to create porcelain people have never seen before,
but never forgets to pass on tradition and the rich history of the kiln by keeping in mind his distinctive point of view,
“What kind of artwork would be created if a potter lived for 400 years?”
He believes that the painting comes before the shape,
but for “momoco”, the teddy bear shape was waiting for him to be painted on.
In his words how he described the collaboration, “surely something interesting is about to happen!”
Mr. Seiichi Kawasaki, pottery artist of young generation,
has always surprised Arita Porcelain fans with his unique technique called “Inkoku”.
Inkoku is to engrave elaborate patterns on the thin surface of porcelain works.
This is different from artistic expression by glazing.
One day in his school days, when he was drawing flowers outside,
he was dazzled by too bright sunlight. Then,
he saw things in the world colorless and only recognized things just by their contrasting shade and shadow.
This rare experience led him to the Inkoku technique.
Mr. Kawasaki’s policy as a craftsman is that an artist shouldn’t say “Sorry, I can’t.”
Mr. Kawasaki finished the momoco bear with his Inkoku technique,
successfully drawing out a new good expression from the bear.
Bear, the Beloved Symbol All Over the World!
The word of [bear] means a big strong animal called [kuma] in Japanese. This word also means to [give birth to a child], [raise a child] and [endure difficulty]. Therefore, [bear dolls] have been used as a gift of celebration among so many people so far as a symbol praying for their fertility, healthy & sound growth of their children and their coping with any hardships.
As represented by Teddy Bear, bear has its unique & lovely shape, which gives us wonderful comfort and happiness. Such prayers & wishes symbolized in bear dolls are the most proper motif decorating the launch of [momoco], Arita Porcelain Figure Brand, we think.
Arita Porcelain artists and potters have brought a new life to momoco bear by decorating the cute body of the bear with their own favorite techniques.
×Yamahei Porcelain
×Yamahei Porcelain ／ Suitou Nakatsuka
×Kanezen Kiln
×Takasho Kiln
×Soekyu Seitosho
×Fukuju Gama
×ARITA PORCELAIN LAB ／ Yuka Uogishi
× Yukinori Mochikawa
Without Mr.Yukinori Mochikawa, “momoco bear” would not have come to life.
As a creator of characters and animated movies for TV programs and advertisements,
he makes very simple yet heartwarming works that make you want to smile.
Because “momoco” is meant to be your best friend,
the bears he created are round and soft,
adding a charm to its form,
but at the same time somewhat vague leaving it up to the painter to complete its character.
Producer
SHOBIDO-HONTEN CO., LTD.
Aritayaki-oroshidanchi 2351-169,Hei akasaka,Arita-cho,
Nishimatsuura-gun,Saga,Japan 844-0024
TEL: +81-955-42-2261 / FAX: +81-955-42-2180
mail@shobido-honten.com
