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Japan has one of the oldest and most varied ceramic traditions in the world. For centuries the appreciation of fine tea wares and subtleties of Mingei crafts has been a symbol of status and pedigree, imperfections often adding to the appeal, an aesthetic very different from that of the West. The beauty and simplicity of these functional forms served as an inspiration, the Mingei crusade of the 1920s and 30s undeniably the most important and influential ceramic arts movement of the 20th century. In the rush to modernization and rise of militarism with its accompanying drain of artistic talent through war, by the mid 20th century many of Japans ceramic traditions were verging on extinction. Owing to the efforts and dedication of a handful of craftsmen, this trend was reversed, and with study and transfer through apprenticeship a new generation of potters came to the fore. This generation has taken the standards of form and firing and moved beyond tradition; into a flourishing modern age where sculptural elements weigh equal with traditional concerns; an age which has returned the Mingei artisan their name... Modern Japanese Ceramics The Kura/MJC Gallery 817-2 Kannonji Monzen-cho Kamigyo-ku Kyoto 602-8384 Japan Tel. 075-201-3497 |