Historical Object Critique essays

Historical Object Critique essays The production of earthenware in Japan goes back to the Neolithic, or Jomon period , but the beginning of Japanese yaki as Westerners know it today, started in the early seventeenth century. Japanese feudal lords had invaded Korea and brought with them skilled Korean artisans. These artisans learned from the Chinese the ways of producing fine pottery. One of the skilled Korean artisans went by the name of Ri Sampei. He came to be known as the "father" of Japanese ceramics. As time went on, Japanese yaki production found its own style, although the influence of Chinese and Korean porcelain manufacturing always remained dominant. In addition, since the invasion of Korea, yaki has been a vital and successful art form in Japan. The Edo period was the era from which the piece I had modeled my project after was taken. The Edo period, is also referred to as the Tokugawa period after the name of the shogunate that ruled over Japan for 256 years. The Tokugawa brought peace and stability to the country, but at the costs of a repressive political style. During the Tokugawa reign, contacts with the outside world were completely stopped in 1624. Nagasaki was the only port open for commercial contacts with the outside world. Edo and Osaka were the economic and cultural centers of the Edo period. It was at these two metropolises that a wealthy new urban class gained influence. They moved the arts away from the aristocratic background and showed scenes from the life of common people. At the centers of Edo and Osaka, and throughout Japan, people amused themselves in theaters and in the amusement quarters. From a cultural point of view, the Edo period maybe was something like the pop culture of "swinging London" in the sixties and early seventies of the 20th century. The Edo period also provided a great deal of influence on potters creations. In this 268 year period, new, dramatic designs were created. New forms of cerami...