How to use and navigate the Online Museum

This guide will help you enjoy your visit to this website.

– How to use this website

– How to use a search box to find specific information

– How to enjoy the Pottery Museum

We will explain these three points.

How to use this website

Our online museum is divided into two contents.

Separate gallery of antique ceramic art

This page introduces individual ceramics with photographs and text.
We even feature close-up photos of the clay and glazes that you can’t see in museums.
This is the main content, so please take a look.

How to search individual galleries

The products here are categorized by country, type, etc. You can search from the menu at the top if you are using a PC, or from the menu in the top right if you are using a smartphone.

The menu is broadly divided into four categories.

Type
The menu is divided by type of pottery, such as Tenmoku tea bowls and celadon. If you are looking for ceramics of a specific genre, please use this option.

Country/Period
The menu is divided by country and period, mainly China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. If you would like to view a list by country or period, please use this option.

Kiln/Region
The menu is divided by kiln or region, such as Jian ware, Ru ware, and Mino ware. If you would like to search by a specific kiln, please click here.

Style
The menu is divided by shape, such as tea bowls, bottles, plates, and vases. You can find both common shapes and pieces unique to ancient ceramics.

Columns and knowledge about old pottery

This site introduces information about ancient ceramics, mainly from China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. It explains the history of ceramics, the characteristics of each kiln, and information about art museums.
If you’re new to ceramics or looking for information on ancient art ceramics, check out this content.

If you’re a complete beginner, we recommend the “useful content.”
The useful content explains basic information such as the history of ceramics as a whole and the differences between different types.

For more in-depth, specialized knowledge, we recommend the “Column” section.
Here, we explain the differences between the pottery produced by each kiln, as well as museums where you can see ceramics.

Those who want to find specific information by searching

If you accessed the online museum through a search but can’t find the information you’re looking for, try using the Site Search.
Enter the keywords you’re looking for to search for galleries and column articles.

How to search on a PC

To search, click the magnifying glass icon on the far right of the top menu, enter keywords in the field, and press Enter on your keyboard.

How to search on a smartphone

Tap the three lines on the top right to open the menu. Enter keywords in the search field at the bottom and tap the magnifying glass icon.

A list of relevant pages will be displayed, so please open and view the most relevant one.

How to enjoy the Online Museum

For those who are new to ceramic and pottery art and are not familiar with it, we will tell you some recommended ways to enjoy it.

What are ceramics?

Because ceramics and pottery are hard, resistant to deterioration, and easy to shape, they are well suited to mass production, and many everyday items were made from them.
Long ago, unglazed bisque pottery was used for civilian use.
As time passed, pottery began to be glazed, making it more water-resistant and stronger, and even giving it a more artistic quality.
Well-made pottery was even presented as gifts to emperors and feudal lords, and was valued at a level unimaginable today.

If you want to enjoy pottery, start with China

China is considered the most important place in the history of ceramics.
Ceramics such as celadons and white porcelain originated in China and spread to Asia, including the Korean Peninsula and Japan, as well as India and Europe, exerting a profound influence.
Famous Japanese ceramics, such as Arita ware and Kutani ware, can be traced back to Chinese white porcelain and blue-and-white porcelain.
>Read a brief history of Chinese ceramics here.

Among these, the ceramics of the Song Dynasty are particularly noteworthy.
During this period, the five great kiln of the Song Dynasty Ru ware, Southern Song Guan Ware, Ding Ware, Ge Ware, and Jun Ware at their peak, and a wide variety of ceramics were invented.
In particular, the greenish-blue porcelain known as celadon was perfected during this period, forming the basis for the celadon still produced today.

Celadon kilns such as Ru Ware and Longquan Ware are famous in Japan and were introduced to the country from the Kamakura period to the Muromachi period. They were highly prized by feudal lords and have been designated as national treasures and important cultural properties in Japan.
There are also other celadon such as Southern Song Guan Ware, Yuezhou Ware, and Yaozhou Ware, and you can enjoy the differences in color and shape depending on the Ware, even though they are all celadon.

White porcelain technology also evolved during this period.
Although white porcelain was not perfected until after this period, the ceramics that formed its foundation were produced at the Xing Ware and Ding Ware of the Song dynasty.
Until then, ceramics had been made by applying a white glaze to clay, but now they began to be made by applying a transparent or translucent glaze to white clay.

From the Yuan dynasty onwards, Jingdezhen Ware emerged as a production centre for white porcelain, and blue-and-white porcelain, in which white porcelain is painted blue with gosu, was born, and this style matured during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Tenmoku tea bowls and the tea ceremony (Sado)

A wide variety of shapes and types of ceramics were created, but the one that is still talked about the most today, and is historically most interesting, is the tea bowl.
Before the Tang dynasty in China, tea bowls were simply utensils for drinking beverages.
The custom of drinking tea became common during the Tang dynasty, and it became more widespread during the Song dynasty.

Ground tea became the norm among the nobility and even among the general public, and tea houses, places where tea could be drunk, were established.
The “Tea Fighting” became popular, and a wide variety of tea bowls were made for use in them.
It was during this time that Tenmoku tea bowls were born at the Jian Ware during the Song dynasty.
Tea bowls with a diverse range of patterns against a black glaze that complemented the white tea of ​​the time were beloved by many aristocrats.

Tenmoku tea bowls, with their beautiful patterns such as “Hare’s Fur Glaze” and “Oil Spot,” were introduced to Japan and became beloved by many feudal lords and tea masters.
Among these, Yohen Tenmoku tea bowls, with their beauty reminiscent of stars rising in the night sky, have been designated a national treasure in Japan.

Pottery from the Korean Peninsula

Although ceramics were produced independently in the Korean Peninsula, Korean ceramics evolved under the influence of celadon and white porcelain that was introduced from China.
Goryeo celadon, in particular, evolved in a unique way using inlay techniques that were not common in China.

Then, during the Joseon Dynasty, Buncheong ware and other ceramics began to be produced, and miscellaneous utensils of various shapes were also produced.
When these miscellaneous utensils were introduced to Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, they were highly prized in the tea ceremony and became even more valuable in Japan.
Even today, they are loved by many people at the tea ceremony as “Goryeo tea bowls.”

During the Joseon Dynasty, white porcelain began to be produced due to Chinese influence.

Pottery from the Japan

In Japan, ancient pottery from regions such as Seto, Mino, Shigaraki, and Bizen is still popular today, and there was a time when fine ceramics were produced.
In the early 17th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and other feudal lords brought Korean potters with them, and thanks to their skills, various kilns were opened in Kyushu, creating pottery production areas.
These resulted in the creation of Imari Ware, Arita Ware, and Karatsu Ware, which are still famous today.

During the Edo period, in addition to the existing kilns, the number of feudal domain kilns such as Satsuma Ware, Ofuke Ware, and Koto Ware increased, and ceramic techniques were perfected.

How to enjoy photos from the Online Museum

View photos

The Ceramics Online Museum posts approximately 10 or more photos for each piece of ceramics and pottery.
First of all, please enjoy the photos.
The following three points are particularly good points that you won’t find in a real museum.

– View from various angles
– See glazes that cannot be seen with the naked eye
– See the bottom of the ceramic

These three elements are very important when appreciating and researching ceramics.
In particular, the third element, the bottom of the ceramic, is never visible in a normal exhibition, and looking at the clay is considered extremely important when appraising it.

Read the explanation

All of the pottery featured are accompanied by explanations.
You can learn about the highlights of each pottery.

Read related columns

If you like ceramics and pottery, be sure to read the related column.
You can learn more about the history and types of ceramics and pottery.

Photo download

Many of the photographs of the art works are available for download.
If you find something you like, save it and take your time to look at it.
Please feel free to use the photos for your own personal enjoyment.