Japanese Pottery – A Look Into The Beautiful World

Japan has a long esteemed history with pottery that dates back for over thousands of years.  They found this as an outlet to not only express themselves and their emotions but also as a way to show each of the culture’s differing aesthetics.

They did not put time and effort into “perfecting” their pieces.  It was important to them to highlight irregularities, mistakes, finger impressions or any other things that made the piece special. They would seek out pieces with the most discrepancies. 

The term ‘pottery’ is sometimes replaced by the word ‘ceramic’ which is fine. They are interchangeable. They are made exactly the same way. The only difference between the two is the clay that is used and the temp it’s heated at which will determine the result that is produced.

Folks use ‘ceramic’ if the piece is viewed as fine art and made for visual appeal rather than practicality. ‘Pottery’ is used for pieces that are deemed to have functionality.

There are three main types of Japanese pottery.  Under these three main types fall a multitude of sub-types of pottery.

There Main Types Of Japanese Pottery

• Earthware.  This is the first and probably the oldest type of pottery from the Jomon period. It’s distinguished for showing connections between nature and art. It is very simplistic, made manually by hand, roughly finished with a muted palette of colors significant to the earth’s colors. The eccentricities of the shapes and inconsistencies are what were sought after with these pieces. The pottery was hard, brittle and overall porous so couldn’t hold water. In later years, they were glazed in order to hold liquid. Earthware was definitely used for functionality for things like food and storage. It laid the foundation for many types of pottery that followed.
• Stoneware.  Stoneware was produced during the Nara period. Nara also means ‘three-color glaze’.  This stoneware was very durable, dense and waterproof. It generally came unglazed but could be glazed for decorative purposes. Nara stoneware was green, white and beige.  Since it came on the scene around the same time as Buddhism, it was used in a lot of religious services or for royalty.  The firing of the clay was mostly done in Japan’s Capital’s kiln.
• Porcelain.  Although this was originally imported from China, Japanese porcelain was created during the Edo period. It was hard, shiny, white translucent clay.  Pretty cool and unique. Japan highly regarded the blue and white ware for its beauty. The designs were not only fascinating to the Japanese but also other countries to whom the Japanese started to export the pottery. Japan began to create “appliances” that they felt would suit the needs of these other countries with their porcelain but would have no use to them directly e.g. the coffee pot for Europe.

Today Japanese potters have grown away from their simplistic, natural, handmade way of producing pottery. They no longer push for pieces with deformities or create pieces for functionality.

They have been introduced to tools and wheels and the modern idea of perfectionism in their pieces. Every line, every corner, every curve must be precise. Their pottery now serves as show pieces as opposed to the rugged, useful vessels of days gone by.  They have lost their connection between art and nature.

The pottery made today would not fit into a traditional Japanese home.  We have to wonder if there still are any old-school potters out there in Japan still doing things as they once were.

No matter.  Pottery will forever be one of  Japan’s greater contributions to the world. As their culture continues to change from year to year, decade to decade and century to century it may make its way back to its roots.

This is just a little bit of fun additional information.  These are the sub-types (if you will) of pottery.

Japanese Sub-Types Of Pottery

Aganoware, Aizuhongoware, Akahadaware, Akaxuware, Amokusa pottery, Aritaware, Bankoware, Bizenware, Echizenware, Hagiware, Hasamiware, Igaware, Iwamiware, Izushiware, Karatsuware, Kasamaware, Kiyomizuware, Koishiwaraware, Kosobeware, Kutaniware, Kyoware, Mashikoware, Mikawachiware, Minoware, Mumyoiware, Oborisoma, Ontanuware, Rakuware, Satsumaware, Setoware, Shigarakiware, Shitoroware, Shodaiware, Takatoriware, Tambaware, Tobeware, Tokonameware, Tsuboyaware, Zezeware

Japanese pottery is so exquisite.  To collect pieces from  or more of a period would be very exciting. Happy hunting. l