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Japanese Ceramics and the "Pottery Village"
 "To obtain a certain thing you must first become a
certain person..." This Zen Buddhist expression might accurately
summarize the Japanese attitude towards the production of fine ceramics.
Known collectively in Japanese as yakimono or "baked things," ceramic
items have been produced in the Japanese islands for at least ten thousand
years. Though the introduction of inexpensive, mass-produced
ceramics
have threatened or destroyed cottage industry kilns in many developed countries,
this has not been the case in Japan where many "pottery villages" remain and
thrive throughout the country. Pottery villages are small Japanese
communities where the livelihood of many inhabitants revolves around the
activities of local pottery kilns. The location of such villages often
corresponds with the location of clay deposits suitable for the manufacture of
ceramics. Thus many pottery villages in Japan are located in remote areas
where the lifestyle and values of the inhabitants has changed little despite the
march of time. The development and survival of these specialized villages
does, in fact, tell the story of Japanese pottery itself.
  Pottery villages in Japan were spontaneously or
strategically founded throughout the country over the course of many centuries.
Such villages either arose through the patronage and sponsorship of regional
warlords (daimyo) or simply by economic necessity after the discovery of
a new source of clay. The survival of these villages is, in large part,
due to the perpetuation of some traditional Japanese arts as well as the
Japanese culinary aesthetic. The Japanese people have for many centuries enjoyed
the look and even the feel of a well made piece of pottery. This is
largely due to cultural factors such as the popularity of the Japanese tea
ceremony (chanoyu) and flower arrangement (ikebana) both of which
rely on a ready supply of high quality ceramics.
However, the Japanese method of
dining has probably played an even bigger role in the development and
perpetuation of this craft. Japanese meals are normally served not on a
single large plate as in the west, but instead are brought to the table on several small to
medium-sized tastefully decorated plates or sara as they are called in
Japanese. Sara may be changed with the seasons as well as on a
daily basis depending upon the food to be served. Japanese homes and
restaurants therefore commonly keep an extensive collection of plates, bowls and
other ceramic utensils for everyday use. This is necessary in a culture
where equal weight is granted to the appearance of a meal in addition to its
taste.
  Before the last century many Japanese pottery villages were founded
and supported in part by leading samurai families who used the village's
products for trade as well as to enhance their
personal prestige. During the Japanese Edo period (1600 - 1868) many daimyo would send samples
of their pottery village's best ceramics to the military leader or Shogun
in the capital city of Edo (present day Tokyo) as part of their yearly
tribute. Such treasures from the provinces were eagerly received by the
Edo elite who studied and enjoyed the diverse and varied products of their
country's many pottery villages. In order to enhance a pottery
village's overall knowledge base Daimyo did often send their best
potters to different areas of Japan as well as abroad
to study and bring back new techniques. Some daimyo did even
capture potters during local or foreign military campaigns in order to bring
them back to their province as honored "guests" who were forced or enticed to
share their knowledge with local artisans. During his failed military
campaign in Korea, the Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi did instruct his
generals to "bring back to Japan any potters of note whom you may discover"
(which they did).
  Japanese
ceramics come in three basic types: porcelain as well as glazed or unglazed stoneware. The type
of ceramic items produced by a particular pottery village did often depend upon
the characteristics of the village's local clay supply as well as the technical
expertise and knowledge of the artisans and the tastes of the village's
customers and patrons. While porcelain is one of the most highly regarded
forms of ceramic in the west, this refined type of pottery has in Japan always
taken a back seat to rough stoneware. This is probably because of the
influence of Zen Buddhism and in particular the Japanese tea ceremony,
both of which place emphasis on the natural world which is perceived as better
represented in the rough lines, texture and form of stoneware. This fact
did surprise many early western observers such as Joao Rodrigues, a 17th
century Portuguese Jesuit who noted in his book This Island of Japon "the
ordinary cups are painted with a very delicate lacquer, adorned with
wonderfully
and richly gilded flowers" while the festive or formal ones are merely made
of baked clay, "in accordance with their ancient customs and ceremonies, when
they could use other ware made of precious materials
 such as gold and silver."
Indeed, those familiar with Japanese ceramics which are exported abroad might be
surprised to discover that the Japanese themselves prefer far more subdued
designs emphasizing scenes from nature such flowers, birds or maybe a fallow
field with Mt. Fuji in the background. During the late 19th century and
early 20th century many Japanese pottery villages began producing separate lines
of products for export as well as domestic sale. In this way they could
capitalize on interest from abroad while continuing to keep their Japanese
customers happy. Such adaptive thinking is one of the factors that has
allowed many Japanese pottery villages to survive and even prosper in an
increasingly disposable society.
The fate of Japanese pottery villages seems secure as
long as the Japanese continue to hold their traditional arts in high esteem, and
especially if they continue to enjoy the look of their meals as much as the
taste. Though the kilns of many villages have adopted modern cost-saving
technology into their production process, the final art is rarely lost as novice
artisans are normally required to complete long and difficult apprenticeships which the masters deem
necessary in order that the student may "become the certain person" who can make "a
certain thing..."
Click
here
to browse the ceramics category within our eBay store The
Old Tokaido.
Research on Japanese Ceramics:
- The Japan Craft Forum "Japanese Crafts"
Tokyo, New York, London: Kodansha International,
1996
- Hiroshi Kondo "Sake - A Drinker's Guide"
Tokyo, New York, London: Kodansha International,
1984
- Richard L. Wilson "Inside Japanese Ceramics"
Tokyo, New York: Weatherhill,
1995
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