Art Diary

October 2, 2014

Celadon and Now – Techniques and Beauty Handed Down from Southern Song to Today

Masahiro Karasawa, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Celadon was developed in China through an admiration for jewels, and is characterized by beautiful colors of blue and green. However, the precise colors differ by region and the period in time that they were produced, ranging from pale blue to olive green, and even pale yellow. Celadon porcelain was introduced to Japan in the 12th century, in the form of tea cups. Its aesthetic resonated with the Japanese sense of beauty and was praised as the greatest among all Chinese goods. In the three-part exhibit "Celadon and Now," we focus on this treatment of porcelain, which has captured the interest of people across the ages, and present some historically famous pieces as well as modern creations.

The mineral content in the glaze gives rise to the beautiful coloring we see on these porcelain goods, but that can also change through the firing method. As shown in Photo 1, some celadon porcelain can take on a yellow, "rice" color when fired in the kiln.

Part Ⅰ: Porcelain handed down to Japan

We introduce 23 porcelain items made during the Southern Song and early Ming Dynasty in China. The Japanese treasured the pale blue porcelain wares made during the Southern Song Dynasty (Photo 2) and the deep green porcelain made during the Yuan Dynasty. The coloring and unique shape of these items heavily influenced more recent, modern artists, serving as a model for the creation of new items.

Part Ⅱ: Modern ceramic artists and celadon – copy and creation

We introduce 48 porcelain items made by 11 famous ceramic artists at the turn of the century. Japanese artists worked hard to replicate the beauty of Chinese porcelain and these 11 artists have left a mark on the history of Japanese ceramic art. In this part of the exhibit, I hope you will appreciate the development from copy to design and creation of porcelain and flow of ceramic art design (photos 4 and 5).

Part Ⅲ: Porcelain right now – Expression and Possibility

Finally, 48 works of art by 10 artists, including those who have been designated as Important Intangible Cultural Properties, or Living National Treasures, starting with Hiroshi Nakashima, and representing a wide variety of art and art forms are on display. In this display, I hope you can appreciate the breadth and depth of modern expressions, at the same time appreciate the fresh take on the subject matter. Through these works of art, I hope you will be able to sense a small part of the artist’s feelings (photos 6 and 7).