History of natural gosu
Although the history of gosu is long, it is difficult to find records about it.
So, this time I would like to introduce the history of gosu , based on what I heard from the director of the Arita History and Folklore Museum .
The origin of gosu
Before the Meiji period, gosu was imported from China and Islamic countries.In China, gosu is produced mainly in the southern part of the country, including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), and Yunnan.
It seems that it began to be used around the Ming Dynasty as a replacement for Huiqing (Huihuiqing), which was imported from Islam.
About natural gosu
So, what is natural gosu? It is called asbolite.A small amount of gosu clay is also produced in Seto, but physicochemical analysis reveals that its components are too dilute to be of any use.
How gosu was imported during the Edo period
It seems that Islamic youth did not enter Japan during the Edo period.It seems that it was imported to Japan from China via Nagasaki.
Origin of the name Gosu
The origin of the name Gosu is unclear.In China, domestically produced gosu is called "Wanka" (a bowl of flowers), "Tingyuanzi" (a square on top of a porcelain ware), and other names, so it is thought that the name originated in Japan.
According to one theory, it is said to be a corrupted version of "Wuzhou."
"Wuzhou" is located in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, right at the mouth of the Yangtze River on either side, around where Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou are located.
However, the name "Gosu" was not used until the mid-Edo period, and it seems to have been used from the late Edo period onwards.
Before that, the name "chawanyaku" was commonly used.
This concludes the history of natural gosu.
If you have any questions about gosu, please feel free to contact Shinkai Shoten.
If you would like to purchase our Gosu, you can do so from this link.
この記事の執筆者
佐賀県有田町出身。深海家13 代目。株式会社深海商店後継者。先祖は有田焼始祖の一人である百婆仙。熊本大学理学部理学科卒業後、東京の大手経営コンサルティング会社にて勤務。2021年8月に有田町にUターンし、有田焼及び肥前窯業圏の再興を使命に東奔西走する。