Akahada Pottery, manufactured in Gojyou, Nara City, is one of the Enshuu Seven Kilns so named because Kobori Enshuu, a prominent tea master, loved them. There is no clear record as to the origin of the pottery, but reportedly it originated from a kiln built in Akahada Mountain in Gojyou village by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a lord of Yamato County during the Momoyama period. Akahada pottery thrived under the protection of a succession of federal lords during the late Edo period and, by the very end oft period, Okuda Mokuhaku, a noted master-craftsman, had succeeded in making the pottery well-known beyond that region. Akahada means “red skin” and, as the name suggests, Akahada pottery has delicate reddish color. Another theory as to where Akahada pottery got its name is that it was named after the soil  from Akahada Mountain. The red color of the pottery comes from burning this iron-rich soil. The color of the glaze is milky white and is often decorated with Narae.  Narae are paintings based upon the religious themes of sutras and lotus patterns. Some pieces however, are made without paintings and thus have a more imposing look. The pottery is mostly used for things such as vases, pots, plates and ornaments, but is especially valued for tea sets.