Back Next Prev

Autumn Special Exhibition Ode to Early Pottery: Medieval Japanese Ceramics from the Six Old Kiln Sites and Their Vicinity Saturday, September 4 to Sunday, December 12, 2010 Organized by MIHO MUSEUM and Kyoto Shimbun Co., Ltd.
Featured here are pots and jars necessary for storing the five grains (wheat, rice, beans, millet, and foxtail millet) and water in medieval Japan. The strength and simplicity that can be seen in their forms are one of the great allure of medieval Japanese pottery. The cherished ceramics of the six old kiln sites have captured the hearts of many. They include the hearty and rustic Tokoname and Echizen wares, the bright and robust Shigaraki, the simple and elegant Tanba with its dripping glaze, the bold and majestic Bizen, and the sole glazed ware, the graceful yet powerful Seto.
     Ode to Early Pottery explores these medieval Japanese ceramics and presents an overview through approximately 170 ceramic pieces. Exemplary works from the six kilns will be highlighted together with examples from other nearby kiln sites. The result of scholarly research on the history of medieval kiln sites, this major ceramic exhibition, the first of its kind in thirty years, will begin at MIHO MUSEUM and thereafter travel to four venues throughout Japan.
For Warriors, Courtiers, Temples, and Shrines Seto Ware: The Birth of Quality Vessels
In the early Kamakura period, from the late 12th to 13th century, Seto inherited the techniques of the Sanage kilns and began by producing high-fired glazed ceramics. Like the Sanage kilns, this site originally imitated Chinese celadon and white porcelain and produced luxury ware in the taste of Kamakura-period warriors, courtiers, and priests of temples and shrines. The products of the Seto kilns were so central to its age that ceramics in general came to be called “Seto ware.” This may have been because Seto ware was the only glazed high-end ware in a period when the other kilns only produced unglazed ceramics. Blessed with excellent clay, Seto was able to meet the demands of those who admired luxurious Chinese ceramics. Elegant yet bold, Seto ware perhaps reflects the unaffected and sincere temperament of the rustic warrior class.
 Seto Ash-Glazed Jar with Inscription Shōwa 1 (1312)


1   
Important Cultural Property
Seto Ash-Glazed Jar with Inscription Shōwa 1 (1312)
Japan, 14th century
Nagataki Hakusan Shrine
Seto Ash-Glazed Jar with Inscription Sh.wa 1 (1312)


Back Next Prev