EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Sueki stoneware pottery was first produced in Japan in the Kofun Period (ca. 300-710). The result of artisanal exchanges with the Korean peninsula, the manufacturing techniques to create the ware eventually led the way to Japan’s renowned production of fine ceramics. Sueki evolved over the years, driven in part through Japan’s cultural interactions with other East Asian countries, as well as by Japanese culture itself and its aesthetic sensitivities. The fusion of these elements spawned a wide variety of forms, their sheer diversity providing viewers of the exhibition with a rare glimpse into ancient society and the minds of its peoples.

“This is SUEKI—Ancient Vessels, Timeless Forms” covers many of the finest examples of the ware created across Japan over some 500 years from the Kofun to Heian eras, a fascinating introduction to the beauty of ceramic vessels from Japan’s distant past.