Handmade Culture:

Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan

Morgan Pitelka. Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan. University of Hawaii Press, 2005. 

Timeline

The Raku Tradition originated in the late sixteenth century, and continues in Japan today. 


1558 - Hon’ami Kōetsu born

1574 - Chōjirō carves inscription into lion tile

1595 - three color lion incense burner inscription reads that Sōkei is 60 

1599 - Nonkō born, eldest son of Jōkei

1613 - Kōshin Sōsa born

1615 - Tokugawa Ieyasu grants Takagamine to Hon’ami Kōetsu

1620 - Tokugawa Hidetada’s daughter, Kazuko, marries Gomizuno’o

1626 - Tokugawa Iemitsu appointed shogun, Gomizuno’o visits him at Nijo

1629 - Bakufu prohibits female Kabuki performances

1629 - Gomizuno’o, unhappy about purple robe incident, etc, abdicates throne

1634 - Kobori Enshū hired to build garden for Gomizuno’o

1635 - Jōkei dies

1637 - Hon’ami Kōetsu dies

1640 - Ichinyū born, son of Dōnyū

1641 - Ishikawa Jōzan’s Shisendō is finished

1656/2/23 - Nonkō dies at age of 58

1658 - Sen Sōtan dies1662 - Ichigen born, son of Ichinyū

1664 - Sōnyū born in Kariganeya (Ogata) family

1665 - Sōnyū adopted by Ichinyū

1666 - Chōzaemon opens ōhi kiln in Kanazawa

1672 - Kōshin Sōsa dies

1678 - Tōfukumonin dies 

1680 - Gomizuno’o dies

1685 - Sanyū born, second son of Yamatoya Kabei

1688 - Sōnyū and adopted son write genealogical text Memorandum

1691 - Ichinyū retires; Sōnyū becomes Kichizaemon

1696/1/22 - Ichinyū dies, age 56

1708 - Sōnyū retires; Sanyū becomes Kichizaemon

1714 - Chōnyū born, eldest son of Sanyū

1716/9/3 - Sōnyū dies, age 53

1728 - Sanyū retires; Chōnyū becomes Kichizaemon

1736 – Collected Raku Ceramic Secrets is published in Osaka

1739/9/25 - Sanyū dies, age 55

1745 - Tokunyū born, eldest son of Chōnyū

1756 - Ryōnyū born, second son of Chōnyū

1762 - Chōnyū retires; Tokunyū becomes Kichizaemon

1770/9/5 - Chōnyū dies, age 57

1770 - Tokunyū retires as Sabee; Ryōnyū becomes Kichizaemon 

1774/11/10 - Tokunyū dies, age 30

1788 - the great Kyoto fire 

1795 - Tannyū born, second son of Ryōnyū

1811 - Ryōnyū retires; Tannyū becomes Kichizaemon

1817 - Keinyū born, third son of Ogawa Naohachi, sake maker in Tamba

1825 - Ryōnyū retires to ōmi

1827 - Keinyū adopted into Raku family

1834/9/17 - Ryōnyū dies in Ishiyama, age 79

1845/12/2 - Tannyū retires; Keinyū becomes Kichizaemon

1854/12/20 - Tannyū dies

1857 - Kōnyū born, son of Keinyū

1871 - Keinyū retires; Kōnyū becomes Kichizaemon

1887 - Seinyū born, eldest son of Kōnyū

1902/1/3 - Keinyū dies, age 86

1918 - Kakunyū born, eldest son of Seinyū

1919 - Kōnyū retires; Seinyū becomes Kichizaemon

1932/9/24 - Kōnyū dies, age 76

1940 - Kakunyū graduates from Tokyo Bijutsu Gakkō

1941 - Kakunyū enters the Pacific War

1941 - Seinyū holds Chōjirø 350th memorial anniversary

1944/3/8 - Seinyū dies, age 58

1945 - Kakunyū returns from war, becomes Kichizaemon

Twitter @mpitelka
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