Imari (伊万里)
Although this term is somewhat ambiguous, Imari is generally used to describe porcelains produced at various kilns in the Saga or Nagasaki prefectures beginning in the seventeenth century. These early porcelains were decorated with gosu-sometsuke (呉須染付 / natural cobalt pigment applied under the glaze) or iro-e (色絵 / polychrome overglazes) designs and were sold to Japanese markets or exported overseas through the port of Imari (Shimura 2008:3-5; Jahn 2004:345).