What Is Unique About Japanese Pottery?

Japanese pottery is famous around the world for its distinct and unique aesthetic qualities and styles. Pottery has played a vital cultural role in Japanese life for thousands of years and continues to shape Japanese artistry to this day. While early Japanese pottery imported techniques and styles from China and Korea, native styles and innovations soon emerged, creating a unique tradition. Key aspects that make Japanese pottery distinct include its emphasis on subtlety, simplicity, asymmetry, and imperfections; the use of natural materials and glazes; and distinct firing techniques like raku. Japanese pottery encompasses a diverse array of styles and types, from rustic folk pottery to exquisitely refined porcelain. But common threads run through them all, showcasing the Japanese affection for organic beauty and quiet elegance.

History

Japanese pottery has a long history stretching back over 10,000 years. The earliest examples of Japanese pottery date back to the Jomon period (10,500-300 BCE) when cord-marked earthenware was produced. According to the Guide to Fascinating Japanese Pottery by Arteologic, archaeologists have uncovered many shards of pottery from this early period, characterized by simple shapes and cord-markings (https://arteologic.com/en/ceramics/japanese-pottery/).

During the Yayoi period (300 BCE – 300 CE), technological advances allowed potters to produce more refined, wheel-thrown ware often used for storage and cooking. Glazing techniques were also developed during this time. According to Japan Travel, kilns emerged around the 3rd century CE, enabling higher firing temperatures and new styles like Haji ware produced in northern Kyushu.

The Kofun period (300-538 CE) saw the introduction of Sue ware, a grayish, unglazed pottery which was often used to make haniwa funerary figures. Sue ware had a high iron content which turned greenish when fired at high temperatures. According to the Wheel and Clay blog, regional kiln technologies advanced significantly during the Kofun period (https://wheelandclay.com/blog/japanese-pottery/).

During the Asuka period (538-710 CE), Japanese potters learned new techniques like glazing and painting from Korean and Chinese immigrants. Green glazed pottery and vessels with painted figural designs emerged at this time. The Nara period (710-794 CE) marked the start of Japan’s first pottery guilds as well as standardized kiln technologies and pottery styles.

Styles

Japanese pottery has a long history with many distinct styles that have developed over time. Some of the main styles include:

Jomon – One of the oldest styles, Jomon pottery was made during the Jomon period from around 14,000 BCE to 300 BCE. It is characterized by rope-patterned surfaces and unglazed stoneware. Jomon pottery was made by hand, without a pottery wheel.

Yayoi – This style emerged around 300 BCE and originated from continental Asia. Yayoi pottery marked the introduction of the pottery wheel and kilns to Japan. It features simple shapes and designs.

Haji – Coming from the Kofun period in the 3rd to 6th centuries CE, Haji ware has a reddish-brown glaze and decorative impressed rope patterns. It was used by the ruling class and was inspired by Korean pottery.

Shigaraki – Dating back to the 12th century, Shigaraki ware has an earthy and rustic style. It often features a natural clay and feldspar glaze with orange peel-like textures. Unglazed variants feature exposed stoneware clay.

Bizen – Originating in Okayama prefecture, Bizen pottery dates to the Kamakura period in the 12th to 14th centuries. It is traditionally wood-fired, giving it a natural, earthy aesthetic. The clay can range from grey to reddish tones.

Techniques

Japanese pottery utilizes a variety of unique techniques that contribute to its distinctive styles and aesthetics. Some of the main techniques include:

Wheel Throwing – This technique involves throwing clay on a potter’s wheel to shape it into forms like bowls, plates, vases etc. Wheel throwing has been used in Japan since it was introduced from China in the 5th century. Skilled Japanese potters can create precise, thin-walled pieces using the wheel.¹

Coiling – Coiling involves building up clay into shapes using long coils or ropes of clay. This is one of the oldest Japanese pottery techniques and is often used to make hand-built sculptural pieces. The coils can be smoothed together to hide signs of construction.

Sculpting – Sculptural techniques involve directly manipulating the clay into 3D shapes like figures, animals, abstract forms etc. Tools can be used but often fingers are employed to pinch and shape the clay. Sculpting allows for great artistic expression.

Glazing – Japanese pottery is known for employing multiple layered glazes in various colors. Glazes provide decorative effects and durability. Distinctive Japanese glazes include “Oribe” green and “Shino” orange. Glazes can be brushed on or clay pieces can be dipped into glaze tanks.

Aesthetics

Japanese pottery is characterized by a unique aesthetic known as wabi-sabi that grew out of Buddhist teachings. Wabi-sabi values simplicity, asymmetry, imperfection, and the beauty of natural objects and processes. This is reflected in Japanese pottery through rough textures, irregular shapes, and earthy colors (https://tokyo-matcha-selection.com/blog/the-aesthetics-of-japanese-pottery/).

Japanese potters don’t strive for perfection but embrace imperfections and asymmetry as part of the natural beauty of the piece. Cracks, irregular shapes, and uneven glazes are seen as enhancing the uniqueness of each object. There is a reverence for the simplicity and raw beauty of natural materials like clay, wood ash, and water (http://www.e-yakimono.net/guide/html/timeline.html).

This aesthetic developed over centuries and continues to influence modern Japanese ceramics. It values humble, simple beauty and appreciates the natural creative process as much as the finished product.

Types

Japanese pottery encompasses a wide variety of types, many with long histories and traditions behind them. Some of the major types include:

Chawan – Tea bowls used in the Japanese tea ceremony. They come in many styles, including Raku chawan which are hand-formed and fired at low temperatures.[1]

Hakeme – A type of white porcelain featuring cracked patterns. It was developed in the Seto region.[2]

Kogo – Small incense containers with permeable walls to allow scent to waft out. They are closely associated with the tea ceremony.[1]

Korai – A historical type from the Kofun period featuring green glazes. Many korai jars featured figurines molded onto the surface.[2]

There are numerous other types like Banko, Shino, Kutani, Satsuma and more, each with their own stylistic traditions and histories.

Tools

Japanese potters use a variety of specialized tools to create their works of art. Some of the most important tools include:

Gama – A tool used to center clay on a pottery wheel. It looks like a short stick with a rubber tip on one end.

Kanna – A curved knife used to trim excess clay from the base of a piece after it has been thrown on the wheel. Kanas have a single beveled blade.

Hishiboshi – Diamond-shaped scrapers used to refine the shape and surface of pottery. They come in various sizes for different purposes.

Surikogi – A rib-like tool used to smooth and compact clay surfaces. It can create different textures depending on the motion used.

Chushiboshi – A serrated metal rib that gives a decorative guilloche pattern when dragged across clay.

Mizusashi – A water dropper used to keep clay surfaces moist and smooth out joints between slabs.

Rokuro – A large wooden wheel operated by hand to spin clay while shaping it. It allows excellent control and force application.

Mastering these specialized tools is key for Japanese potters to produce their unique styles of pottery by hand.

Materials

Japanese pottery utilizes several unique materials that contribute to its distinctive aesthetic. The primary material is clay, which comes from local sources across Japan. Specific clay types like rakuyaki, shigaraki, and Bizen-yaki clay provide regional character to Japanese ceramics.

Japanese potters also developed specialized natural glazes made from ash, feldspar, and other mineral ingredients. Glazes like Oribe, Shino, Hakeme, and Temmoku showcase the diverse palette of natural colors potters can achieve.

In addition to locally sourced clay and ash glazes, Japanese potters use natural mineral pigments to hand-paint designs onto pottery. Pigments derived from iron, copper, cobalt and other metals create vivid hues when fired.

Finally, the Japanese art of kintsugi relies on natural lacquer resin mixed with powdered gold to repair cracked ceramics. This embraces the idea of wabi-sabi, finding beauty in imperfection. The materials of Japanese pottery celebrate both nature’s gifts and the passage of time.(1)

Regional Styles

Different regions of Japan are known for their own unique pottery styles and techniques that have developed over centuries. Some of the most well-known regional styles include:

Kyoto – Known for highly refined pottery often used in tea ceremonies, like raku ware, Kiyomizu-yaki, and Kyo-yaki. Features natural, rustic styles as well as vivid multi-colored overglaze enamels. Famous kilns located in Gojozaka and Kiyomizu. Link

Tokyo – Tokyo has a history in both traditional and modern pottery. It is known for Jomon pottery from 14,000 BCE and later Haji and Edo wares. Many potters now work in Tokyo combining traditional and modern techniques.

Mashiko – Famous for Mashiko-yaki stoneware pottery used for daily life, like tableware. Features simple, rustic, wood-fired styles. Mashiko has over 300 pottery workshops and the Pottery Folk Museum.

Bizen – One of Japan’s oldest pottery styles, Bizen-yaki dates back over 1,000 years and focuses on functional, wood-fired stoneware with natural, rustic aesthetics. The region has over 200 kilns and the Bizen Pottery Traditional and Contemporary Art Museum.

Arita – Known for Arita porcelain, one of Japan’s most famous styles, featuring bright, intricate painted designs. Arita was key in Japan’s porcelain trade and development. The region has the Arita Ceramic Plaza and Arita Ceramic Art Museum.

Conclusion

In summary, Japanese pottery is globally influential for its long history and tradition of refined techniques, aesthetics, and regional styles. Dating back over 10,000 years to the Jōmon period, Japanese pottery reflects the identity of local cultures and the natural landscape. Master potters developed signature techniques like raku, mishima, nerikomi, and shino glazes as well as traditional firing methods. The aesthetics celebrate asymmetry, simplicity, and imperfections as well as drawing inspiration from nature, poetry, and Zen Buddhism. While sharing common foundations, distinctive regional pottery styles also emerged such as Seto, Bizen, and Karatsu ware. Japanese pottery continues to influence ceramic arts worldwide through its mastery of form, techniques, and mindful principles rooted in Japanese culture.