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{{nihongo3|{{lit|kneading}}|練り込み|'''Nerikomi'''}} is a  [[Japanese pottery]] term describing the artistic technique where multiple colors of [[clay]] are marbled or combined to create various designs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://the-empty-vessel.blogspot.com/2007/01/nerikomi.html|title = The empty vessel: Nerikomi|date = 2 January 2007}}</ref> The technique can also be called {{nihongo||練上げ|'''neriage'''}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://galleryjapan.com/locale/en_US/technique/ceramics/10108/|title = Clay kneading, ceramics art techniques - Traditional Japanese art - Gallery Japan}}</ref> although this more commonly refers to throwing multiple colors of clay on a wheel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-techniques/wheel-throwing-techniques/you-say-neriage-i-say-nerikomino-matter-what-you-call-it-mixing-colored-clays-makes-for-gorgeous-pottery-surfaces/|title = Neriage and Nerikomi Explained|date = 21 April 2021}}</ref>

==History==
{{transliteration|ja|Nerikomi}} is a contemporary Japanese term. Marbling ceramic techniques were first found used in [[Egypt]] and [[China]] and through the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] to the [[West]]. Early ceramics in [[Stoke-on-Trent]] use more than one colour of clay for decorative effect. In England this was referred to as [[agateware]].

In Japan there are a few pieces from the [[Momoyama period]] (1568–1600), and [[Edo period]] (1603–1868), as well as extant pieces of {{transliteration|ja|[[mingei]]}}, that display marbled ceramics. There was an explosion in popularity of the technique from about 1978–1995 in Japan, due probably to Aida Yusuke's advertising and to Matsui Kousei, who refers to his work as {{transliteration|ja|neriage}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The term started being used in the 1970s to describe related kanji ''neriage''. [[Yusuke Aida]] was on a television commercial for [[Nescafé]] and it seems to have entered the vocabulary at about that time when his nerikomi coffee cups were available to the first people contacting the advertisers.

It was used in the [[Tang dynasty]] in 7th-century [[China]] there are at least two [[Chinese language|Chinese]] characters to describe variations of this technique (one surface, one structural).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gingerbreadsquaregallery.com/ArtGlass/Thivo/Thivo-bio/thivo-bio.html |title=Thiv? Biography |website=gingerbreadsquaregallery.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010425222219/http://www.gingerbreadsquaregallery.com/ArtGlass/Thivo/Thivo-bio/thivo-bio.html |archive-date=2001-04-25}}</ref><ref>http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/gallery/techniques/techniques.htm</ref>

==Technique==
In {{transliteration|ja|nerikomi}}, a design is created in such a way that it extends through a long block of clay, akin to the [[murrine]] canes of [[millefiori]] glasswork. By slicing thin slabs of the block, the design can be repeated, to either be reassembled in repetition or applied to a larger piece.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-supplies/ceramic-colorants-ceramic-supplies-2/creating-neriage-blocks-decorating-with-colored-clay-patterns/ | title=Ceramic Arts Network }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Japanese pottery]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Neriage}}
*http://nerikomi.blogspot.com  in Japanese
*http://www.yusukeaida.co.jp/

{{Japanese ceramics}}

[[Category:Artistic techniques]]
[[Category:Japanese art terminology]]
[[Category:Japanese pottery]]
[[Category:Japanese words and phrases]]