Gennai-yaki is a type of sansai (three-color) pottery produced in the mid-Edo period (18th century) in Shido, Kagawa Prefecture (present-day Sanuki City), under the guidance of Hiraga Gennai, who was from the area.
In the Meiji period, Gennai-yaki was briefly revived by Gennai’s descendants for an exhibition, but neither the quality nor the designs matched those of the original works.
Hiraga Gennai, a naturalist, studied in Nagasaki where he learned new glazing techniques introduced from the Netherlands. Using this technology, he aimed to promote industry in his hometown of Sanuki, Shido by directing the production of a new type of sancai soft pottery. It is said that he had woodblocks made in the workshop of Suzuki Harunobu, a famous ukiyo-e artist and his acquaintance in Edo, which were then sent to Shido for firing.
Gennai-yaki pieces were produced using molds, and works with the same mold designs can be found.
Because these works were presented to feudal lords and high-ranking officials of the shogunate, they remained relatively unknown to the general public until recent times.