Bizen

Bizen (備前焼) is a type of reddish-brown unglazed pottery. Bizen is fired using wood, which makes beautiful markings on these otherwise unglazed pices of pottery. This is caused by the firing process and is referred to as Yohen or kiln effects. Various firing techniques can produce a variety of surface effects such as wrapping the pot with rice straw prior to firing which produces reddish scorch marks (hidasaku). Other common surface effects include goma or sesame seed paste markings and sangiri which is various colored marking produced by coal. Bizen is fired slowly producing a pottery which is hard. This is a technique that was introduced during the Heian period.

Bizen gets its name from the Imbe village in the Bizen province (Now Okayama prefecture)

Abe Anjin, Bizen Chaire
A Bizen chawan by Rosanjin Kitaoji.
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