The Seiji Collection gets its name from the Seiji era, a period between 1630-1650 when the Hasami region of Nagasaki produced most of Japan’s celadon seiji porcelain, to meet the demands of the wealthy samurai class. Intricately fashioned with both hand-carved and hand-painted seals, the pieces were treasured among feudal lords, government officials, and Buddhist priests, employed in tea ceremony and cherished for their ornamental value. This collection harkens back to that golden age of celadon with a porcelain lineup reminiscent of Seiji-era tearoom decor. A colored enamel surface is given to each piece using an overglaze technique in homage to the hues of the early Edo-period Mitsunomata porcelain that can be found in the ceramic trash pits of Hasami’s chambered climbing kilns. The ceramic strata that surround the kilns are what local ceramic artists call monohara​. Gypsum facades peel away to reveal smooth, pewter surfaces, making every item in the Seiji Collection feel like an ancient archaeological find.