丹波小皿（住吉丸太かうし）

　丹波焼は、兵庫県多紀～氷上郡一帯で、鎌倉期以来今日に至るまで民芸調の陶器が作られている。この皿は丹波立杭で大量生産された、大阪住吉大社の門前の居酒屋か蕎麦屋のような店からの注文品で、徳利や皿に黒釉を掛け、屋号・町名・番号などを印書きと呼ばれる筒書きで記したもの。白地に黒文字のものもあるが稀少である。職人の手で大量に作られたがゆえの衒わない闊達な文字が賞玩される。現代の無機質均等な量産品とは違う健康的な素朴さが魅力的な作品である。

Tanba ware is the name given to a largely folk ware‐like group of wares produced from the Kamakura period through the present day in the Taki‐gun and Hikani‐gun of Hyogo prefecture. These dishes, along with similar sake bottles, would have been mass produced in Tachikui of Tanba, and would have been ordered by the pubs and soba shops near Sumiyoshi Shrine in Osaka. Each would be coated in black glaze and then specifically decorated with the commissioning shop's name and emblem. There are also extremely rare examples of black lettering on a white ground. The unpretentious, generously brushed characters produced over and over again by skilled craftsmen are highly regarded by their collectors. These works have a fascinating, healthy, and simple quality, unlike the mechanical feel of today's more mass produced wares.