Nendo for Gen-emon

For historic porcelain brand Gen-emon, Nendo undertook an unorthodox re-edit of one of the kiln’s most famous patterns, a small plum flower repeat and foliage scrollwork.

Nendo designs ume-play collection and karakusa-play collection for Gen-emon, one of the most renowed Arita-yaki porcelain kilns with a 260-year history dating to 1753.

"We undertook an unorthodox re-edit of one of the kiln’s most famous patterns, a small plum flower repeat known as ‘ume komon’ and foliage scrollwork known as ‘karakusa-e’," explains Nendo.

Top: *Karakusa Play Collection*, Nendo for for Gen-emon. Above: *Ume Play Collection*, Nendo for Gen-emon

Like children playing with paper, Nendo blew up the pattern until it was enormous, as though viewed through a magnifying glass. They cut it up with scissors, pasted it, lined it up, turned it upside down and layered it, too. This faux-naïve strategy allowed us to activate Gen-emon’s key visual signifiers – the blue and white underglaze and strong contrast between the dark and light blues – while developing a rich assortment of variations. The result: a delightful selection of ceramics that may have different patterns, but can be used together on the table without breaking visual unity.

Traditionally, Gen-emon’s porcelains are made by drawing the outlines, then filling in the centre. They introduced a charcoal-based resist method, ‘sumi hajiki’, that allows both fine lines and an accessible price for the consumer. The ume-play collection upholds Gen-emon’s long history and traditions and reflects the kiln’s commitment to constant change and evolution.

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