Large Japanese Contemporary Ceramic Jar from Onda Yaki Kiln

Description

A large Japanese lidded ceramic jar from the kiln of Onda Yaki, circa 2010. The stoneware jar impresses the viewer … more A large Japanese lidded ceramic jar from the kiln of Onda Yaki, circa 2010. The stoneware jar impresses the viewer with a robust bulbous form. Its black body is nearly unglazed but exuberantly splashed with strokes of slip glazes of white, yellow and blue. The visual effect is wonderful that it appears traditional and contemporary at the same time. The tri-color glaze calls to mind the San-Cai from Chinese Tang dynasty, yet the application is akin to abstract painting on canvas.
Onda Yaki also spelled as Onta Yaki also spelled Onta, is a type of Japanese pottery produced in and around the village of Onta in Oita Prefecture in Kyushu Island. It was founded in 1705. Closely associated with Mingei folk art, Onda ware was inscribed by the national government in 1995 as an Intangible Cultural Property
Background from Pucker Gallery where the jar was exibited and purchased.
"In his search for true folk pottery, the Japanese philosopher Soetsu Yanagi (1889-1961) discovered the community of Onda Sarayama (Japanese for "Plate Mountain") on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Little has changed about the process and aesthetics of ceramic production in Onda since that time. Currently, ten of the fourteen families inhabiting the area participate in pottery production; the eldest son is the only person who is allowed to throw the pottery. This community works together using locally sourced clay to create iron-rich, functional pieces. There is a strong focus on slip decoration via brushwork, chattering, and dripping with a free and energetic approach."
Provenance: Pucker Gallery, Boston, 2010.
Exhibited: Pucker Gallery, Boston, "Keeping Tradition: The Ceramic Art of Onda", January 23rd-March 8th, 2010.
Publication: Pucker Gallery, Keeping Tradition: The Ceramic Art of Onda, Boston: 2010, pp. 12, fig. 855. less