Ceramics; Fun and Functional

Date: January 9th – February 28th
Closed on Mondays except January 11th (Mon.) And January 12th (Tue.) is closed.

Ceramics were first produced as purely functional items, but gradually consumers turned to more attractive models. Over time, these purely functional items became the focus of intense connoisseurship. Ceramic connoisseurship was a full trend in Japan by the Muromachi period, and this process started with Tenmoku-style tea bowls. The so-called Yohen Tenmoku Tea Bowl has rainbow-like color variations in its glaze, and its sheer rarity made this bowl all the more prized. And yet, it was not just an object of beauty to be visually observed, it was also specifically treasured as a bowl for actual use in a tea ceremony. Growing interest in the tea ceremony developed the chaji, or tea event, a several hours-long process involving food and different kinds of tea. The practitioners of this art focus on the toriawase, or combination of utensils from different types of wares, and their relationship with the food being served.

New forms of ceramic appreciation began to appear in Japan in the late 19th century. Chinese Tang dynasty three-color ware horses and figurines are typical of these new tastes, and Japanese collectors began to collect such works for purely aesthetic purposes. This visual appreciation of ceramics expanded to medieval Japanese ceramics, earlier Jōmon and Yayoi vessels, and haniwa figurines. This exhibition presents these two faces of ceramics, their practical use and their purely decorative role.