Popular Narrative
Although there is no doubt that Kanagae Sanbee actually existed, almost no contemporary source mentions him. The story of "Yi Sam-pyeong" as seen today was gradually developed by the late 19th century by various parties with various intentions. As an example, here is introduced the story presented by Kanagae Sanbee XIV, a descendant of Kanagae Sanbee concerned.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign against Korea (1592-98) triggered great progress in Japanese pottery as hundreds of artisans were brought to Japan to encourage technological development. Yi Sam-pyeong is one of the best known potters from Korea.
According to some records of the Kanagae family, he lived for a short period of time in the town of Saga, which was ruled by Nabeshima Naoshige, the de facto founder of the Saga Domain in Kyushu. He was then given to Taku Yasutoshi in the ruler of Taku in central Saga, where he started pottery but did not succeed. He searched for kaolin, and eventually in 1616 he discovered a kaolin deposit on the Izumi Mountain in Arita, effectively starting the porcelain industry in Japan. For his achievements, he was allowed to take the Japanese name Kanagae Sanbee after his home town Geumgang.
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