Hirado. The Hirado porcelain--so called because it enjoyed the special patronage of Matsuura, feudal chief of Hirado--was produced at Mikawa-uchi-yama, but did not attain excellence until the middle of the 18th century, from which time until about 1830 specimens of rare beauty were produced. They were decorated with blue under the glaze, but some were pure white with exquisitely chiselled designs incised or in relief. The production was always scanty, and, owing to official prohibitions, the ware did not find its way into the general market. Kioto. The history of Kioto ware--which, being for the most part faience, belongs to an entirely different category from the Hizen porcelains spoken of above--is the history of individual ceramists rather than of special manufactures. Speaking broadly, however, four different varieties are usually distinguished. They are _raku-yaki_, _awata-yaki_, _iwakura-yaki_ and _kiyomizu-yaki_. Raku. Raku-yaki is essentially the domestic faience of Japan; for, being entirely hand-made and fired at a very low temperature, its manufacture offers few difficulties, and has consequently been carried on by amateurs in their own homes at various places throughout the country. The raku-yaki of Kioto is the parent of all the rest. It was first produced by a Korean who emigrated to Japan in the early part of the 16th century. But the term _raku-yaki_ did not come into use until the close of the century, when Chojiro (artistic name, Choryu) received from Hideyoshi (the Taiko) a seal bearing the ideograph _raku_, with which he thenceforth stamped his productions. Thirteen generations of the same family carried on the work, each using a stamp with the same ideograph, its calligraphy, however, differing sufficiently to be identified by connoisseurs. The faience is thick and clumsy, having soft, brittle and very light _pâte_. The staple type has black glaze showing little lustre, and in choice varieties this is curiously speckled and pitted with red. Salmon-coloured, red, yellow and white glazes are also found, and in late specimens gilding was added. The raku faience owed much of its popularity to the patronage of the tea clubs. The nature of its paste and glaze adapted it for the infusion of powdered tea, and its homely character suited the austere canons of the tea ceremonies. Awata.