Miyagawa Kozan I (1842-1916), otherwise known as Makuzu Kozan, was born into a family of potters in Kyoto. In 1871, shortly after the restoration of imperial rule, he set up a studio in Yokohama, and during Japan's rapid industrialisation catered to changing tastes and markets. Kozan won many awards in both international and Japanese national expositions, earning his atelier a reputation for quality and innovation. In 1896 he was appointed an Artist to the Imperial Household, continuing to work actively for another twenty years.
Further information about Miyagawa Kozan can be found in the following book and articles:
Clare Pollard, Master of Meiji Japan: Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916) and his Workshop, (New York, 2002); Clare Pollard, 'Miyagawa Kozan (1842-1916)', in Oliver Impey and Malcolm Fairley ed., The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, vol. 5, pt. 2 (London, 1995), p. 40-63; and Kathleen Emerson-Dell, Bridging East and West: Japanese Ceramics from the Kozan Studio (Baltimore, 1994); see especially p. 16-19.