A small selection of middle Jomon pots, vigorously modelled in apparently abstract designs, and decorated with rope-twist (jomon) patterns is supported by a small collection of provenanced potsherds. The great earthenware grave-sculptures, Haniwa are represented by a caparisoned horse's head, and by a figure of a goose; these, formed on the basis of tubes of clay, stood outside the key-hole shaped tombs of the early historic period.

 

Medieval ceramics and the early modern period

From earthenware, Japan turned to stoneware under the influence of Korea, Chinese influence came in waves at different times, and stoneware imitations of Chinese porcelain became fashionable. In fourteenth century Seto, these imitations were not even made on the wheel, though the Japanese had used the wheel for centuries, but were hand built. Stoneware is still a strong tradition in Japanese ceramics, in spite of the introduction of porcelain techniques at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Mino; the first painted ceramics of Japan

Ceramics decorated in metal oxides under a transparent glaze began in Mino (near present day Nagoya) in the late sixteenth century, and at Karatsu in Kyushu very shortly afterwards. Many of these were made specially for the Tea Ceremony, but equally, many were almost mass-produced with minimal but strong decoration.

The origins of porcelain in Japan

The techniques of porcelain differ little from those of high-fired stoneware, and the first Japanese porcelains were made in Karatsu kilns in the very early seventeenth century. These shoki-Imari (early Imari) wares developed rapidly in sophistication, provoking competition from China (the so-called Tianqi wares). In the mid century, the Dutch East India Company started to buy and then order Japanese enamelled porcelains for shipment to Europe.

 

The Museum has a large collection of provenanced kiln-site potsherds of this and the later period

The export trade, c. 1650- c. 1740

This is the great period of the porcelains made for the Dutch, for export either to South-East Asia and the Near East, or to Europe. These are the Arita, Imari and Kakiemon wares so familiar from their presence in so many great European houses, and from the innumerable imitations and pastiches produced in factories all over Europe. This is the strong point of the Ashmolean's collection.

The most sophisticated of the porcelains for Japanese use, that is, not for the export market, are the Nabeshima porcelains, supposedly made for the Lord of the Arita area, Lord Nabeshima. These are of astonishing variety and of the highest quality. Other wares include the decorated Kyoto wares and the white Hirado wares. A great proliferation of small local kilns making cheap and cheerful blue and white makes classification of these folk-wares extremely difficult.

Nabeshima dish, rhododendrums probably early 18th century AD

The new export trade; the Meiji period

The opening up of Japan to outside trade caused a major revolution in the ceramic industry and new factories attempted to cater to European taste with varying degrees of success. Prominent among individual factories were the Kinkozan factory of Kyoto, and the Kozan factory at Ota, the one developing the Kyoto tradition, the other making every conceivable style, always of high quality, as fashion demanded. Today, Japanese artist potters are among the finest anywhere.

What PotWeb can achieve