Imaizumi Imaemon XIV

Imaizumi Imaemon XIV (b. 1962) became the 14th-generation head of their celebrated family of Iro-Nabeshima ceramists, after studying traditional metalwork in college and working in the product design industry. Nabeshima ware was developed during the Edo period (1615–1868) under the support of the Nabeshima domain in current-day Saga prefecture. Highly praised for the meticulous enamel designs with both Asian and Western motifs, Nabeshima ware has been one of the most celebrated porcelains in Japan and abroad. Among Imaemon’s signature techniques are sumi-hajiki, a dyeing process that takes advantage of the repellent nature of sumi ink by creating patterns on white porcelain prior to firing.