East Asian ceramics

[By Christopher Lotis and Michel D. Lee; Foreword by P.M. Taylor. This full book is uploaded here while the Smithsonian website, where it was published online, is being revised.]

An important theme of this volume is the relationship between ceramics and cultural identity, especially as it relates to a particular family’s collection, and also to the broader study of the personal and social aspects of collecting. The book thus forms a contribution not only to the study of Korea’s material heritage but also to Korean-American or Asian-American studies, and to the
history of collecting. It will surely be of interest to art as well as social historians, and to all those who appreciate the aesthetic quality of Korea’s ceramic art.

The authors’ “behind-the-scenes” study of this private collection included the creation of an extensive research database about it, not only the ceramics included in this volume but also paintings, costumes, bronze works, and many other objects that could form the basis for subsequent studies. The collection includes some important twentieth-century ceramics that have not been included within this volume; these await study alongside other works by contemporary artists in this wide-ranging
collection. As the authors emphasize, the component of the Chang collection selected for publication here has been extensively tested using thermoluminescence testing. For this reason, these objects constitute an important “type collection” of tested pieces for this type of materials analysis, against which other ceramic works may be compared.

This book should therefore serve as an important reference for work on its topic, as a unique and well-illustrated introduction to this private collection and its significance; and hopefully also as a stimulus for other studies within this and related private collections.

[NOTE: 2 photos, available in the print edition (p. 12), have been extracted from this online book because the copyright holder disallows online publication of those photos.]

Imagine … It's early 1924. Furuta Oribe XII's 20-something only son, Oribe xiii, is deep into an early midlife crisis. Life as an heir apparent is not cutting it. Endlessly attending and holding those stuffy tea gatherings every time a cherry blossom petal takes to wind or a maple leaf blushes. He's full-up-to-here with the pretentiousness of emptiness, with a capital "EMPTY". Besides, no one sits seiza anymore.

This essay investigates Kukuli Velarde’s intervention in the permanent collection display of the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan during 2014 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale, Terra Nova: Critical Currents / Contemporary Ceramics. Velarde’s intervention is used by the author as a vehicle for developing a model of artistic agency via a strategy of Virtual Ventriloquism. It  debates the problematic nature of the Yingge Museum’s permanent collection display, and encourages the development of a more sophisticated approach to the historical narrative of Taiwanese ceramics, and especially a more just and contemporary representation of the ceramics traditions of Taiwan’s first nations.

Morgan Pitelka, Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2005. 256 pp.; 14 colors ills.; 43 b/w ills. $31.00 (paper) (9780824829704) Among contemporary art ceramists and potters in the developed worldvarious countries, there are few who are unfamiliar with the ceramics technique known as "raku." This method of custom-firing pieces at low temperatures gained popularity in Europe and

The Princessehof Museum in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, was founded in 1917 by the notary Nanne Ottema. He had a particular interest in Chinese ceramics and acquired an extensive collection on which he also published several books. Even though Ottema never travelled to Asia, a major part of his collection was gathered there by other individuals. In particular the collections assembled during the early twentieth century in Indonesia (the former Dutch East Indies) by Anne Tjibbes van der Meulen (1862- 1934) and Reinier Verbeek (1841-1926) form an important part of the Princessehof collection. The former is particularly known for its collection of storage jars (also known as martaban) and the latter for its collection of Zhanghzou ware. These ceramics had often for centuries been important heirloom pieces for local families, while other pieces were found during excavations. One notable example are several Tang dynasty storage jars found in the vicinity of the Borobudur. This article will discuss the formation of the Asian ceramics collection at the Princessehof by looking at these two collectors and highlighting the provenance of several exemplary objects.

Earthenware and porcelain are indispensable in human lives, their respective simplicity and delicacy meeting our dual need for beauty and practicality. Originating in China, the techniques of clay shaping, glazing, and high-temperature firing were disseminated to neighboring countries through trade, and consequently the variety and design of Chinese porcelains created a rich spectrum of ceramic cultures in East Asia. Today, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries, as well as Korea, Japan and other Northeast Asian countries, absorb and explore the existing ceramic technology on the one hand, and continue to find inspiration in their own cultures to augment the uniqueness of their ceramic arts on the other. With their individual characteristics gradually becoming distinct in the long cultural history, these countries' ceramic works emulate Chinese porcelains in the current market. All of them represent the historical, aesthetic, and technological achievements of human civilization, offering a picture of eclecticism and wonder.

An inheritance of Qing legacies, the National Palace Museum's collection of ceramic wares from imperial official kilns is a world treasure. Recently, the Museum has taken the occasion of the establishment and development of its Southern Branch to expand its holding of ceramic works from neighboring countries, purchasing hundreds of new pieces to add to its extant collection from years of continuing diplomatic and commercial relations, and introducing a widened panorama of Asian civilization. This current exhibition, 'The Coordinates of Clay: Ceramics in the National Palace Museum Collection', celebrates the richness and diversity of our collection of East Asian ceramics. It opens with Chinese wares from the imperial official kilns during the long period of peace and prosperity under the reign of Emperors Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng (1723-1735), and Qianlong (1736-1795) in the Qing dynasty, presenting the culminating brilliance of centuries of skills, resources, experiences, and creative energies within Chinese ceramic culture. It goes on to illustrate the parallels in glaze, decoration, shape, and other elements between Chinese ceramic culture and its neighboring counterparts. It selects representative pieces to showcase the diverse styles and regional characteristics of ceramic cultures in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Korea, and Japan. A display of artistic richness and cultural diversity, 'The Coordinates of Clay' demonstrates how ceramic cultures in East Asia emulate, exchange, and intersect with each other.

[Foreword only, by P.M. Taylor; entire book is currently available in "Books" section, below.] An important theme of this volume is the relationship between ceramics and cultural identity, especially as it relates to a particular family’s collection, and also to the broader study of the personal and social aspects of collecting. The book thus forms a contribution not only to the study of Korea’s material heritage but also to Korean-American or Asian-American studies, and to the history of collecting. It will surely be of interest to art as well as social historians, and to all those who appreciate the aesthetic quality of Korea’s ceramic art.

The authors’ “behind-the-scenes” study of this private collection included the creation of an extensive research database about it, not only the ceramics included in this volume but also paintings, costumes, bronze works, and many other objects that could form the basis for subsequent studies. The collection includes some important twentieth-century ceramics that have not been included within this volume; these await study alongside other works by contemporary artists in this wide-ranging
collection. As the authors emphasize, the component of the Chang collection selected for publication here has been extensively tested using thermoluminescence testing. For this reason, these objects constitute an important “type collection” of tested pieces for this type of materials analysis, against which other ceramic works may be compared.

This book should therefore serve as an important reference for work on its topic, as a unique and well-illustrated introduction to this private collection and its significance; and hopefully also as a stimulus for other studies within this and related private collections.

In April 2016 the Dutch National Museum of Ceramics Princessehof in Leeuwarden was able to acquire two Japanese bijin (beautiful women) figures decorated in the Kakiemon palette. This article focuses on the period during which these porcelain figures were produced and on the people who may have bought them. In addition, I will look at how they ended up in Europe and eventually became part of the Princessehof collection.

The Princessehof Museum in Leeuwarden, theNetherlands, was founded in 1917 by the notary Nanne Ottema. He had a particular interestin Chinese ceramics and acquired an extensive collection on which he also published severalbooks. Even though Ottema never travelled to Asia, a major part of his collection was gathered there by other individuals. In particular the collections assembled during the early twentiethcentury in Indonesia (the former Dutch EastIndies) by Anne Tjibbes van der Meulen (1862-1934) and Reinier Verbeek (1841-1926) form an important part of the Princessehof collection.The former is particularly known for its collection of storage jars (also known as martaban) and the latter for its collection of Zhanghzouware. These ceramics had often for centuries been important heirloom pieces for local families, while other pieces were found during excavations. One notable example are several Tang dynasty storage jars found in the vicinity of the Borobudur. This article will discu...

This paper is a long summary, comment, and reflection that expands my ‘Wrap up Summary and Discussion’ comments on papers at the Asian Ceramics Research Organization (ACRO) conferences: “Asian Ceramics: Potters, Users, and Collectors,” Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, October 9, 1994, and "Asian Ceramics: Functions and Forms", Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, May 26, 1996.

Originally published online, this paper appears to be otherwise unavailable, and its date when submitted is unknown.