Japanese pottery
has evolved over
the centuries into a high art form admired the world over.
Historically, pottery plays a central role in the development of Japanese
art and culture. Since the Kamakura period (1183-1333), wood-fired pottery
from the six oldest historic Japanese pottery centers (Bizen, Echizen,
Tanba, Seto, Shigaraki, and Tokoname) has helped cultivate a unique
aesthetic appreciation that revered quiet understated beauty. Zen monks
were among the first to extol the virtue and beauty of simplicity and
austerity. By the Momoyama period (1573-1614), a unique aesthetic
sensibility was firmly established with the acceptance of simple ceramic
utensils for the Japanese tea ceremony by influential tea masters like
Sen-no-Rikyu. The Edo period (1615-1866) saw an exuberant explosion of
artistry at all levels of society, yet striving for quiet nobility and
restrained elegance remained the highest goal of artistic achievement.
Throughout this development, pottery embodied the essence of wabi sabi
侘
寂, an often misunderstood aesthetic sensibility that
has far-reaching influence on
contemporary art both in the east and the west. Today, ceramists in
these historic pottery centers continue their heritage, producing timeless
works of art using traditional materials and techniques refined through
many centuries of experience.
Touching
Stone Gallery honors this rich heritage with monthly and bi-monthly exhibitions to showcase significant bodies
of work by established and emerging ceramic artists from Japan. Our gallery offers top-quality Japanese pottery and
ceramics by some of the best contemporary artists. All the shows in our
gallery are viewable online, bringing their works
to international attention and offering a useful resource for collectors
and artists worldwide. We also sponsor educational lectures
and events through the Santa Fe-Japan Art and Culture Exchange Program to
promote cross-cultural artistic interactions.
Scroll
down to see Featured Artists
Bizen
Pottery 備前
The areas
around Bizen next to the Inland Sea in the Okayama prefecture have been
producing some of the most beautiful traditional ceramics since the 12th
century. Bizen ceramic wares are prized for their warm reddish brown
colors and restrained understated beauty. Bizen ceramics are typically
fired at high temperature - over 1100oC, and often have
distinctive red or black fire marks. Each piece of Bizen pottery has a
unique personality, making it highly collectible. Bizen pottery is said
to remind us of our singular and often imperfect existence shaped by
fate and circumstances.
Click on
image to view featured Bizen pottery. Call (505) 988-8072
for information/order. See inquiry/order
Nestled in a beautiful valley
between Shitodani and Muko rivers below the Kokuzou mountain in Hyogo
prefecture west of Kyoto is the village Tachikui, another ancient center
that produces Tanba pottery. Historic earth-tone Tanba wares were
originally designed for storage and daily use, and had an unpretentious
grace. Today, the areas around this rather remote locale are homes of
many potters who continue to make excellent traditional Tanba wares as
well as contemporary designs. [*Note: Tanba is the phonetic
translation of two Japanese characters: 丹 'Tan' and 波 'Ba'. The term is often
corrupted as Tamba. We prefer to use the correct original
translation Tanba.]
Click on
image to view featured Tanba pottery. Call (505) 988-8072
for information/order. See inquiry/order
Shigaraki, an old pottery
center in the mountains, produces an excellent clay with relatively low
iron content. Shigaraki pottery is traditionally fired without glaze in
wood-fueled kilns. At one time, this area produced some of the most
beautiful and revered ceramics in Japan. Today, the town is flooded with
mass-produced utility grade pieces and ceramic reproductions of a
raccoon-like creature called Tanuki, popular as a decoration in many
Japanese shops. Good pieces by contemporary potters who continue the
great Shigaraki tradition are much sought after.
Located south
of Shigaraki, Iga is another old pottery center with a pottery tradition
dating back at least 1,200 years. During the Momoyama period
(1573-1600), Iga was synonymous with some of the most revered tea
ceremony ware in Japan. Today, there are fewer than several dozen active
potters in Iga. One of the most notable contemporary Iga ceramists is
Yoshitaka Hasu, who is taking the ancient tradition to new levels.
Click on
image to view featured Shigaraki pottery. Call (505) 988-8072
for information/order. See inquiry/order
The picturesque areas in Fukui
prefecture overlooking the Japan Sea produce another distinctive
warm-tone ceramic style known as Echizen. One can find remnants of
ancient noborigama (climbing kilns) and pottery shards hundreds of years
old littering the countryside here. Echizen ceramics are typically fired
at high temperature to a deep shade of brown, with distinctive and often
intense fire markings that contrast with their overall subdued colors. A
number of highly innovative potters work in this area.
Click on
image to view featured Echizen pottery. Call (505) 988-8072
for information/order. See inquiry/order
Seto is the only historic pottery center that made
glazed ceramics during the Heian Period. Seven types of glaze have been
developed (Kiseto, Koseto, Shino, Oribe, Kaiyu, Tetsuyu, and Ofuke),
each with its own distinct aesthetics. For example, Kiseto (yellow Seto)
is famous for its delicate greenish yellow finish that accentuates the
typically thin-walled ceramics. Oribe is characterized by intricate
colorful geometric patterns, whereas Shino wares are tastefully
decorated with simple drawings reminiscent of haiga (Zen paintings that
accompany haiku). The areas around Seto are homes of numerous artists,
who produce a rich variety of both traditional and contemporary works. A
notable example is the extraordinary work by Moriyuki Ando featured
here.
Click on
image to view featured Seto pottery. Call (505) 988-8072
for information/order. See inquiry/order
3
vases w/ black iron glaze (Both
"Dragonfly" Sold)
5.75"
x 3.75"D w/ signed wooden boxes
Contemporary
Japanese Pottery
In addition to works
from the historical pottery centers, Touching Stone Gallery shows outstanding
works by contemporary artists who explore new frontiers in Japanese
ceramics. Their works are conceptually
sophisticated, highly evolved beyond traditions, and typically driven by ideas.
Click on
image to view featured contemporary pottery. Call (505) 988-8072
for information/order. See inquiry/order