The Beauty and Complexity of Minimalism: Pine Trees by Hasegawa Tōhaku and a Shoki-Imari Sake Bottle

Pottery is very beneficial and advantageous to archaeologists as it is a very common and widespread product that leads us to have a greater understanding about the everyday life of the area inhabitants. “Pottery is one of the most common artefacts in ancient sites. Once broken, unlike glass and metal, it cannot be recycled. This makes it very useful to archaeologists,” said Pont. Pont made the conclusion that the red slip pottery was used by the Pompeian’s as tableware with the main purpose of serving food and drink given its characteristically glossy surface. By dipping ceramics in liquid clay and later firing it in an oxygenating kiln is how this gloss is created (Kalnins, 2004) (see figure

The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art covers the various aspects of Japonisme and how it connects with Tissot’s painting Japanese Vase. According to the Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum, the term Japonisme was devised by Philippe Burty who was an influential art critic from France. Burty describes Japonisme as the “study of the art and genius of Japan” (120). Europe was introduced of this new type of art was during the 1850’s, but France welcomed and immersed themselves in the art of Japonisme more than any of the other European countries. Tissot was one of the many French artists who embraced the new art and infused the techniques within his traditional European realism style.

Pottery is an ancient form of art created by people as early as 29,000 BC. The Gravettian "Venus" figurines (appendix A) are the earliest discovered ceramic works, dating from 29,000 BC to 25,000 BC (Carr, 2015). Since then ceramics have significantly evolved, and the pots created today can be described as interesting and unique masterpieces. An example of one of these masterpieces is "Sassy Birch" (appendix B), which is a teapot created by Eric Serratella (appendix C). Eric Serritella received primary applied art training from two artist residencies studying with Ah Leon and clay masters in Taiwan, and after 16 years of other work, Serritella transitioned into clay. He specialises in ceramic trompe l'eole and has displayed his work many museums,

Shino originated in the Mino region of Japan during the Momoyama period (1573-1615 A.D.) and was discovered in an attempt to recreate a white feldspathic glaze brought from China that belonged to the shogun Shino Soshin (1444-1523 A.D). The ceramic aesthetic of the time was largely created by tea masters for Buddhist tea ceremonies. The first shino attempts were most likely the result of removing iron and iron rich clays from temmoku, and the resulting glaze named for the Shogun; a celebrated tea master. Contemporary glaze developments of the period also included seto and oribe.

In this project, we are asked to analyze ceramic fragments found at the TEPCO beach, which, in the mid-20th century, used to be a dump site of the Technical Porcelain and China Ware Company (TEPCO). Though ceramics seem rather mundane, as Deetz’s study on the ceramics used in the colonial American show, they reveal quite a bit to the careful eyes: he found out that people used plates symbolically as displays of status rather than utensils, and the ceramic sets after the 18th century reflected the Georgian mindset of individuality and discipline (Deetz 1996). I am also interested in studying ceramics in a way that relates to and reveal their meanings - a post-processual, emic orientation more directly seen in the Gage house study in which

During earlier developments, subject matter focused on human figures that were engaged in delights of the city life. Artists took interest in enjoyable activities in landscape settings, paying particular attention to contemporary affairs and fashions. Outdoor environments shifted to indoor activities, where alluring scenes and portraits were printed of famous courtesans, displaying actresses, and prostitutes that were accessible to mass audience in form of inexpensive woodblock print (Department of Asian Art). However, breaking away from popular trends, Katsushika Hokusai discovered western prints from Dutch trading, where he acquired some of their influences in his own works; low horizon line, linear perspective, and a distinctive European color, Prussian blue. Through these main elements, Hokusai presents a striking view of creativity and lifespan development. One of his most famous works in the art world and is most iconic that represents Japanese art, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (figure_). Another popular print, Thirty size view of Mount Fuji, a polychrome woodblock print that is arranged in a composition to frame Mount Fuji. It is made of ink, color on paper where the images in series features various representations of a mountain (Harris). As shown from fig. 1 and fig. 2, Hokasia moved away from tradition of making images of customary subjects,

Ceramic artist Daniel Kuhn is from the western area of Pennsylvania known as the Alleghany Valley. This industrial area has greatly influenced his work, which incorporates photographic imagery and layered slips on gestural clay forms. Kuhn’s purpose is to depict the landscape touched by industry. Another style Kuhn incorporates in his work has been the American style of Raku which brings together modern and ancient techniques by using the toxic glazes of Raku and porous sawdust-fired pots. When using sawdust as technique to cool the ware, a chemical reaction occurs this leaves the ware with exuberant hues.

What is being represented in this piece is what seems to be the mid day sun shining down, illuminating the forest. The angle that this piece was portrayed was from the level of a human eye. As if someone was walking on a forest trail and looked around, but instead of seeing fare in the distance, tree trunks and leaves block their view. The trees are seen only from the bottom of there trunks, just as if someone was looking strait ahead. How the painting is hanging portrays this as well. It his hanging at a level were an average hight person looks slightly above the middle of the piece than your eye moves downward to see the forest floor.

Different individual country, even town have their own different language, religion, music, cuisine, habit, art that came together and shaped what we called culture. Every country have their own ability to make their culture unique from others, that signify their own intellectual achievement. Countries like Japan, Africa, India, Mexico all have different unique ways of making their ceramics. Mexico’s style of ceramics are glazing, and firing; the shapes, color and patterns of their ceramics are influenced by the Chinese and the Arabic. In addition, Japan’s ceramics were also influenced by Chinese and Korean prototypes. Japanese ceramics are mostly made for their tea ceremonies. Furthermore, Japan is not the only country that love tea, in European countries like France, they also enjoy tea as much as the Japanese do. As early as 1600s, French had already became a tea drinker, even before than the British. Tea had quickly adopted to the middle and upper classes, who consumed tea regularly - about 12 cups per day. Because of the French hobbies, many ceramist used this chance to make ceramics as tea sets to attract buyers from the upper-middle class to buy their work. The work of France ceramics from the 1700s to late 1800s were fascinated compared

On a March day in 1926, a Daily Sketch newspaper reporter called on the Vyses at Cheyne Row. He wanted to interview Vyse for an article of general interest. The excellence of the Vyses’ high-fired stoneware, decorated with wood-ash glazes were subject to popular press examination in an article titled, The Secret the Chinese Kept.28 The article is of interest to students of ceramic history, in that it validates the Vyses’ commitment to stoneware pottery. Furthermore, it verifies the passionate research work carried out by the Vyses in tandem with their figure making output. The interview it appears, was copied down by the reporter verbatim, the following paragraphs are selection from the published article.

Archeologists employ a wide range of past information in the reconstruction of history. One such piece of information that has been widely employed in studying the history of Japan is tomb artwork. This artwork commenced in the Prehistoric era, reached the peak in the Kofun era and started to diminish at the close of the Asuka era when religion started to garner roots in Japan, more so with the introduction of Buddhism. The most notable artwork effected on the tombs at this era is the molding of haniwa that were meant to decorate the tombs. This research paper will analyze the various artistic features that were engraved on the ancient Japanese tombs.

Changes in ceramics give us an idea of their level of technological progress, such as the introduction of fine paste ceramics. There were few imported ceramics in the region. Those that were imported were few and less decorative. Most of the ceramics were produced locally.

The West has three distinct categories for working with pottery. All three types are working with ceramic material at various temperature, with a fire in a kiln. The three categories are earthenware (600°C- 1,000°C), stoneware (1,100°C-1,250°C), and porcelain (+1,300°C), in which depending on the type of material can be melt at various high temperatures. Each material has it’s own temperature that the kiln needs to be at, so the artisan can work with the material.

The iconic blue-and-white porcelain we have come to know as “fine china,” became popular around the time of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). It became such a highly sought after piece of artwork that people used other materials in an attempt to replicate the authentic pieces. Pottery makers in the West tried to imitate the beautiful white and blue porcelain with earthenware but it was not nearly as beautiful as the pure porcelain that was being made in China by the Chinese pottery makers. “People have copied not only objects but the way they were made from the beginning of time. Now the most famous example of this is porcelain. It was a closely guarded secret in China and for centuries western ceramicists tried to make porcelain. And they really can’t do it until the 18th century - Takes hundreds of years even though they are busy copying the forms and shapes.” (Alan Chong). This shows the extent people were willing to go to get their hands on the luxurious porcelain. Mass production of the blue-and-white china started in the fourteenth-century in Jingdezhen; Often referred to as the porcelain capitol of China. Two pieces that illustrate this difference in material are a piece from Jingdezhen in the mid-fourteenth century and a piece titled Blue and White Dish with a Merchant Ship made around the

The production of pottery became a specialization since medieval time (the majolica floors of the most ancient churches of the Coast have all been produced in Vietri). But it is between the XIX and XX century that the process becomes almost industrial.