Earthenware - Japanese Traditional Culture | History

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History

Timeline

Year	Period	Events
Before 300 B.C.	JOMON	Jomon pottery, made using coils or slabs, and fired in outdoor bonfires/ditches; characterized by chord-marked pottery; hunting and gathering lifestyle.
300 B.C. to 300 A.D.	YAYOI	Introduction of iron/bronze; development of coil-built pottery known as Yayoi; use of finer alluvial clays to produce thinner-walled shapes; techniques may have come from Korea or China; rice cultivation; Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms Period in China.
300 A.D. to 710 A.D.	KOFUN or YAMATO	Introduction of anagama (sloping tunnel kiln) from Korea; introduction of the potter's wheel; introduction from Korea of Sueki ware; introduction from Korea of three-color ware (green, brown, white); introduction of Buddhism.
710 A.D. to 794 A.D.	NARA or TENPYO	Nara Sansai style (three-color glaze); Japanese fully start using glaze to decorate their wares with colors; flowering of Buddhism.
794 A.D. to 1192 A.D.	Heian	Major period of creativity; introduction of Tokoname (9th century); spread of China's celadon and green glaze (ryokuyuto) to Japan during China's Sung Dynasty (960-1270); introduction of Bizen; Shiki-style pottery introduced; Korea's Korai jawan style (slip inlay, or zogan) appears; green glaze and ash glaze become more popular than three-color glaze; Sanage ware (green glaze) becomes widespread.
1192 A.D. to 1333 A.D.	KAMAKURA	Introduction of Shigaraki style and Seto style; further development of Bizen; new Buddhist sects introduced, including Zen and Lotus Sutra sect of Nichiren; Yuan Dynasty China; Magna Carta signed in England.
1333 - 1573 Medieval Period	MUROMACHI North/South Courts Warring States	Seto ware reaches its golden age in early 14th century; Bizen enters golden age in late Muromachi Period; Mishima-style chawan first mentioned in Japanese records; Japanese tea ceremony becomes major conduit of cultural taste, and together with Zen, causes great interest in Bizen, Tanba, Shigaraki and Echizen tea ware; Columbus discovers America.
1573-1603	MOMOYAMA AZUCHI Periods	Golden Age of Bizen pottery continues; introduction of Hagi style; tea utensils become more popular; introduction of Iga; introduction of Karatsu, Takatori, Agano, and Satsuma wares; start of Mino Ware. (Shino, Oribe, Ki-Seto, Setoguro)
1603 – 1867 (1688 - 1703)	Edo (Genroku period)	Introduction of porcelain with Imari, Ko-Kutani, Nabeshima, Kutani, and Sometsuke); start of Kyo-yaki style by Ninsei and Kenzan; nobirigama kilns and porcelain kilns largely replace the anagama; popularity of Mino and Bizen wares declines.
1868 to 1912	MEIJI	Japan undergoes industrialization.
1912 to 1926	TAISHO	World War I; representative potters include Kusube Yaichi (1897-1984), Kawai Kanjiro (1890-1966) and Hamada Shoji (1894-1978).
1926 to 1988	SHOWA	World War II; start of Mingei Movement in 1926 (folk craft movement); start of Sodeisha Movement in 1948 and its focus on sculptural forms, led by Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) and Suzuki Osamu (1926-); revival of anagama kilns starting in the 1960s; representive potters of Showa Era include Itaya Hazan (1872-1963), Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963), Kanashige Toyo (1896-1967), Arakwa Toyozo (1894-1985), and Kato Tokuro (1898-1985).
1989 to Present	HEISEI	Current Period