Seikou Co.Ltd. D History

Seikou Co.Ltd.
Prefecture / ISHIKAWA
Category / PORCELAIN
History
D
uring the early part of the 20th Century Seikou built a
pottery kiln within the home of Kutani-ware; Nomi City in the
prefecture of Ishikawa. In 1980 we successfully developed an acidresistant Japanese paint that complies with the Food Sanitation
Laws. In 1982 we introduced screen-printing to our production
output, achieving extremely high levels of quality in our techniques.
In 1984 we established ourselves as the Seikou Company Limited.
It has been 100 years since our company’s inception. Since becoming
a corporation, we have developed a number of very popular
OEMs and novelties. We are also known for supervising the work
of renowned craftsmen. In recent years, we have been working on
the development of industrial products that incorporate fusing the
age-old traditions of Kutani-ware and the latest technologies, for
example, the Kutani china USB memory stick.
Concept
S
eiko is the only Kutani-ware manufacturer that deals with everything from the development
of the Japanese paints right up to the final printing process. We only produce items that have
been completed by us at every stage of inception. Over the course of our 350-years of history
and proud tradition, as a Kutani-ware manufacturer we have shipped more products than anyone
else. We manufacture our products with three simple objectives: to fully express the beauty of the
Kutani porcelain, to offer our goods at a reasonable price, and to create items that can be used
on a daily basis. We have gained an excellent reputation for our advanced technical capabilities,
productivity and cost efficiency. We have created products that have completely changed the
perceived idea of Kutani-ware being synonymous with cheap printing. In the future we plan to
utilize the unique, traditional designs of Kutani-ware and its textures in various materials and
industrial products.
Material & Technique
S
eiko’s products are characterized by their thickly raised printing which can only be achieved by
special Japanese Kutani paint. The paint has been developed in-house, reaching perfection by
repeated trials and blending. The paint becomes several times thicker than the transfer paper usually used
for conventional Western tableware. of color, revealing the depth of the Kutani glass paint as if handpainted. As the paint used for Kutani-ware changes its color before and after being baked, thinking ahead
is essential when designing our products, which requires advanced techniques and skills. As Seiko originally
started as an artisan studio, we stick to the traditional and unique texture of Katani-ware. In our second
range of stationary, following the Kutani china USB memory stick, we have created new products, such as
ballpoint pen and a card case. As for the rock glass, its outline was drawn precisely in black, red and so
on. We processed the white of the embossed surface and the dark-blue of the ground color in the picture
of cherry blossom by printing.
Seikou Co.Ltd.
Kutani Ballpoint Pen
This ballpoint pen has a pleasantly heavy weight and a feel
peculiar to ceramics. This kind of ballpoint pen is rarely seen
elsewhere, and is also recommended as a gift.
Kutani Card Case
The concept of this case is a ceramic product that can be carried
around. The card case with a texture peculiar to ceramics
will stand out in business occasions and is also recommended
as a gift.
Kutani Rock Glass – Iki
Kutani Ballpoint Pen
The concept of this product is iki, a Japanese aesthetic where
you pay utmost attention even to parts that cannot be seen from
outside. The outside shows a simple, Japanese-style taste with the
seigaiha wave pattern, and the inside is fully covered with elegant
Kutani decoration. It is an “on-the-rocks” glass that conveys the
peculiar Kutani ware taste.
Kutani Card Case
Kutani Rock Glass – Iki
Seikou Co.Ltd.
ロ-25 Sanomachi Nomi-city Ishikawa 923-1112 Japan
Tel.+81 0761-57-2078 Fax.+81 0761-57-2099
www.seikou.co.jp