Ceramics, a mixture of cultures on earth Seeing the whole history of Japanese ceramics, we can say that while ceramics are definitely a part of traditional Japanese culture, at the same time they are mixture of global cultures. Some very…
Glazing and Decorating
The Color of Ceramics – Glazing and Decorating In pottery decoration, pigments which can withstand high temperatures such as gosu, tessa (also known as oni’ita) and shinsa (cinnabar) are used to paint designs after unglazed firing. Then the pottery is…
Mingei
Japanese Folk Arts People dwell on true beauty…”functional beauty”…especially when it comes to a thing they use day after day. As the Taisho Era arrived, practical and popular objects of craftwork (shominteki kougeihin…abbreviated as “mingei”) which had a simplicity that…
History
The first ceramics in Japan: Jomon Ware The very first examples of earthenware in the world were produced 12,000 years ago in the form of Jomon Ware, Japan’s very first ceramic products. Various kinds of pottery were produced ranging from…
Visiting Japanese Kilns
by Robert Yellin (04 August 2009) Visiting Japan for many people usually turns out to be one the most memorable trips of a lifetime. Personally I’ve heard this time and time again, “the best trip of my life,” one person told…
Appreciating Japanese Ceramic
by Robert Yellin (19 August 2009) ArtIn pottery, as with life, sometimes the most basic questions are the most important: Why is this so? Or, how did this happen? Or, what does this part mean? What makes a fine Japanese pot…