Location Ishikawa Archaeological Foundation

Yawata Site Artifacts: Iron Glazed Incense Burner, Calendar Tea Bowls, Kaga Three Medicines Container

The Yawata Site comprises the remains of kilns related to the resurgent Kutani Wakasugi ware. More than 5,000 relic boxes of pottery, bisque pottery, kiln tools and roof tiles were excavated mainly from a single connected-chamber climbing kiln built on the slope of a burial mound and its surrounding unfired-product dumping ground.
On the base of the iron-glazed three-legged incense burner is a dyed inscription that reads “Tenpo 3 / Client Hashimotoya / Yasuemon”. Hashimotoya was one of Kanazawa's leading pottery dealers, and was also a potter of Wakasugi Kiln. In 1832, he was permitted to use the surname “Wakasugi” by the domain, making this item valuable as a record of the previous year.
The calendar tea bowl features the gettou calendar published in Kanazawa printed on the inside and outside. On the outside, the length of the month, the zodiac sign at the beginning of the month, and major calendar annotations are written, and on the inside, the predicted favorable direction for the current year is written. The blue and white bowl (photo right) is inscribed with “Tenpo 8” (1837), and the colored bowl (photo left) is inscribed with “Kaei 5” (1852). These were used as lucky charms in events such as the first tea ceremony of New Year.
A medicine case with lid for Kaga three medicines, which were considered the secret medicine of the Kaga domain, was also excavated. This item was ordered from Miyatakeya, a medicine business in Katamachi, Kanazawa. The side of the body features an inscription of the purchaser’s name, and the lid is inscribed with the names of the medicines.

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