Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Enjoy 10% off

On your first order with us and get early access to new collections and more.
Ceramic vs Porcelain Earthenware

Ceramic vs Porcelain Earthenware

During the holiday seasons, we often bring out our finest from the depths of our kitchen cabinets. Some of these pieces, we only see once a year. So it’s the perfect time to rediscover the gems that already live at home. What kind of pieces have you squirreled away?

Kintsugi is most known as a repair technique for broken pottery, which by definition are pieces formed out of natural soil and fired in a kiln. 

From the beginning of human history, earthenware has been crafted all across the world. Even within the small islands of Japan, the diversity of soil, climate, food, and aesthetics have nurtured unique regional styles. These styles have developed over time and have become synonymous with each region’s culture that go even beyond craft and tableware. 

Examples of such regional pottery are Shigaraki-yaki in Shiga prefecture, Kutani-yaki in Ishikawa prefecture, and Bizen-yaki in Okayama prefecture. Yaki translates to “fired,” and the nouns that precede yaki are regional names. 

 

TYPES OF EARTHENWARE

The diverse range of pottery pieces can be roughly categorized into stoneware, clayware, ceramic, and porcelain, depending on the compounds of the soil and firing technique. Ceramic and porcelain are most commonly used for tableware today so they are what we repair most. 

 

 

While it’s tricky to differentiate ceramic from porcelain pieces as many ceramics are glazed and can appear as smooth as porcelain, taking a peek at the bottom of the piece may provide greater hints.

 

WHICH IS CERAMIC AND WHICH IS PORCELAIN?

 Find the answer down below.

 

WHY THESE DIFFERENCES MATTER IN KINTSUGI-REPAIR

One of the unique qualities of urushi is that urushi only adheres to urushi. Both sides of the broken surface must be enveloped with urushi in order for the pieces to be joined together. 

Ceramic pieces are porous, helping to absorb urushi with ease. In contrast, porcelain pieces, with little absorbency, tend to repel urushi. What we do to help the urushi permeate the piece is to dilute raw urushi kiurushi to effectively absorb into the dense porcelain, before applying other mixed materials such as mugi urushi or sabi urushi.

 

Plate A: porcelain, Plate B: ceramic

 

 

Stories

Every piece of japan comes with a story

The Longer Path: Crafting Ceramics Through a Collaborative Process

The Longer Path: Crafting Ceramics Through a Collaborative Process

POJ Studio collaborated with Okuda-san of Oogoya for over a year to get the Shigaraki Collection just right. Mutual respect and creative partnership allowed both teams to translate the tradition of...

Read more
Bringing Stonework of Japanese Gardens Inside Modern Homes

Bringing Stonework of Japanese Gardens Inside Modern Homes

As part of the team carrying on seven generations of legacy stonework at Nishimura Tōrō-Ten, Ishiura Kenji set out to bring stone craftsmanship beyond the garden and into the modern home.

Read more
Kazuto Yoshikawa, Reawakening Dormant Techniques

Kazuto Yoshikawa, Reawakening Dormant Techniques

Kazuto Yoshikawa guided a collaboration to revive the traditional wood-bending techniques of a Mie Prefecture multi-generational frame workshop, resulting in a striking interior design element for ...

Read more
The Weight of 400 Years

The Weight of 400 Years

Carrying on the legacy of 16 generations of potters, Hosai Matsubayashi is the human embodiment of the evolution of tea culture in Japan. Find out through this documentary how he pursues Kireisabi ...

Read more
Hiromichi Nakade, Maker of Oryoki Bowls

Hiromichi Nakade, Maker of Oryoki Bowls

Meet Hiromichi Nakade and Kazuya Fujimoto, the makers of the Oryoki and Kodaiwan bowls. A master craftsman sits with his former apprentice to speak about their hope for the declining crafts industr...

Read more