Art of China and Japan

Transcription

OBJECT GUIDE
Please return to holder or Information Desk.
Version 12.15.2015
Questions? Contact us at acklandlearn@email.unc.edu
ACKLAND ART MUSEUM
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This Object Guide is made possible by the generous support of the Carolina Asia Center and
the Title VI grant from the United States Department of Education.
Ackland Art Museum
1
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE)
Guan Yu, 1490s
wood, lacquer and lacquer paste, leather,
and hair, polychromed and gilded
The William A. Whitaker Foundation Art
Fund, 95.2

This date for this sculpture is based on the technique used to carve the drapery
and the style of the floral pattern in the costume.

Guan Yu’s was a Chinese general who was captured and executed by his
enemies in 219 CE. He appeared as a heroic character in the novel The Romance of
the Three Kingdoms, written in the fourteenth century. In 1594, a century after this
sculpture was made, the emperor officially elevated Guan Yu to divine status.

For many in Ming dynasty China, it was important to celebrate the culture of the
Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), nostalgically making connections with that
era’s noted accomplishments.
Ackland Art Museum
2,3
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Tang dynasty (618 – 907 CE)
Tomb Guardian Figures, 7th century
gray earthenware with cold-painted
pigments and gold leaf
Gift of the Tyche Foundation, 2010.20.2
(left) and 2010.20.1 (right)

Chinese tombs during the Tang dynasty were often guarded by pairs of
sculptures with weapons and grimacing faces to scare away evil spirits (and
tomb robbers) that would disturb the afterlife of those buried within.

These two tomb guardians are notable for the vibrancy of the surviving color and
for their unusual slender form, frontal pose, tall helmets, and relatively static
stance on U-shaped bases. Many other guardian figures from the Tang dynasty
are more dynamically posed than these and shown standing on rocks or
trampling on demons.

In Tang dynasty tombs, core groups of figures generally included ceramic figures
of two guardians like these, two guardian beasts, a pair of officials, and a group
of horsemen, camels, and their grooms.
Ackland Art Museum
4,5
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Northern Wei dynasty (386 –
534 CE)
Tomb Guardian Figures, early 6th
century
gray earthenware
Gift of the Tyche Foundation, 2010.22.1
(left) and 2010.22.2 (right)

Wei dynasty figures became more elongated than their predecessors from the
Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). The stance of these figures is more elegant than
intimidating.

Both of these are dressed in high ceremonial hats, billowed long trousers bound
at the knee, and robes with voluminous sleeves. They carry swords and wear
two-part armor with front and back panels connected by straps.

They are modeled in the three-quarter round (with a flat area at the back), which
is typical of figures from this period.
Ackland Art Museum
6,7
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Han dynasty? (206 BCE –
220 CE)
Taotie Masks with Ring Handles
bronze
Fund, 91.11ab (left) and 91.12ab (right)

Taotie masks are the most important decorative motif in ancient Chinese art and
they appear throughout later periods as well. Typically they have large, glaring
eyes, fangs, curled lips, and horns.

Because of the size of these taotie masks, it is likely that they functioned as
handles on the door to a chamber in a tomb, guarding the tomb from intruders.

The bronze casting in these handles leaves crisp edges in the scrolls around the
monsters’ eyes, their heads, and the concentric circles in the rings.
Ackland Art Museum
8
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE)
Architectural Panel
gray earthenware
Spain Purchase Fund and The William A.
Whitaker Foundation Art Fund, 2011.2

One notable change in Han dynasty burial practice was the introduction of
multi-chambered tombs, richly decorated with architectural elements. This brick
was possibly a lintel placed above the doorway between rooms.

In the center of the front panel, there is a taotie mask in high relief. It is framed
by trellis borders and flanked by wide rows of stylized trees and roundels. There
are also human figures, serpents, and a border design of running dragons. On
the reverse side, the broad frieze includes more trees, roundels, and triangular
foliate motifs within matching trellis borders.

The decoration includes both hand-molded and stamped decorations. One tree
on the front side is double stamped, to correct the placement of the tree form in
the overall pattern.

Because it is hollow, it probably dates from around the first century CE. Bricks
made later were solid.
Ackland Art Museum
9
Unidentified artist
Japanese, Kofun period (c. 200 – 538 CE)
Mirror with Daoist Decoration, 3rd-4th
century
bronze
Gift of Charles Millard, 91.144

The decoration of this mirror includes two seated figures, who are probably
Daoist divinities.

At the right of the mirror, there is a one-horse carriage. Proceeding clockwise, the
decoration continues: Xi Wangmu, Queen Mother of the West; a four-horse
carriage; Dong Wangfu, King Father of the East. Interspersed among these
figures are representations of four miniature mirrors.

The mirror was made in imitation of Chinese designs, but some motifs, like the
chariots that the figures ride in, are Japanese.
Ackland Art Museum
10
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Eastern Han dynasty (25 –
220 CE)
Mirror with Daoist Divinities, 2nd or
3rd century
bronze
Gift of Clara T. and Gilbert J. Yager in
honor of Timothy A. Riggs, 2007.8.7

Ancient Chinese mirrors were cast in bronze alloy that appeared silver when
polished. The smooth side was polished until it gave a clear reflection; the back
was elaborately decorated. At the center of the back a cord was strung through
the knob in the center, so that the mirror could be handled without touching and
tarnishing its surface.

Mirrors were associated with courtship, marriage, and family life, but also with
the presentation of the cosmic order.

The imagery on this mirror includes Daoist divinities associated with the four
points of the compass, each riding on a dragonlike beast: Xi Wangmu the Queen
Mother of the West (left); Dong Wangfu the King Father of the East (right); Boya
the Musician (top); and Huangdi the Yellow Emperor (bottom).
Ackland Art Museum
11
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Six Dynasties period (220 –
589 CE)
Mirror with the Animals of the Four
Directions, 3rd-4th century
bronze
Ackland Fund, 92.24

This mirror features the animals known as the Four Divine Beasts, who are
associated with the points of the compass. Clockwise from the top they are: the
Black Tortoise of the North (entwined with a snake), the Blue Dragon of the East,
the Red Bird of the South and the White Tiger of the West.

The central knob on this mirror represents the center of the earth, which in
Chinese cosmology was depicted as a mountain. Just inside the outer drifting
cloud border is a saw tooth pattern symbolic of cosmic mountains believed to
surround the sky along the edges of the universe.

Besides bringing good fortune to the family, the ancient Chinese mirror was also
a mandala, a symbolic map of the cosmos.
Ackland Art Museum
12
Unidentified artist
220 CE)
Mirror, 2nd or 3rd century
bronze
Bequest of Gilbert J. Yager, 2007.8.6

Two bands of decoration on this mirror include small knobbed disks that
represent miniature mirrors. They symbolize future children and grandchildren
who will carry on the family of the person owning the mirror.

The outer circle includes images of seven mythical beings. Four of these are the
divine beasts that represent the points of the compass; one of them – the phoenix
– is represented twice while the turtle and snake, the tiger, and the dragon are
each shown once. In addition, there is a chimera and a mountain sprite.
Ackland Art Museum
13
Unidentified artist
Mirror with Lion and Grapevine Pattern
bronze
Fund, 90.37

Bronze mirrors were often placed in Chinese tombs. In that context, they were
suspended over the deceased with the reflective side down.

Mirrors symbolized marital love during the Tang dynasty. Sometimes halves of
mirrors were placed in the hands of wives and husbands at their funerals so they
could find each other in the afterlife by matching the halves.

The lion and grapevine patterns on this mirror emerge from Manichaeism, which
came to China from Persia via the trade routes. Manichaeism synthesized
elements of several religions, including ancient Mediterranean religions,
Christianity, and Buddhism.
Ackland Art Museum
14
Unidentified artist
Model of a Storehouse
earthenware with green glaze
Gift of Smith Freeman, 2008.42.3

The objects buried in Chinese tombs were meant to furnish the deceased with the
things they would need in the afterlife. Along with a storehouse, tombs often
included models of animals, entertainers, and vessels for wine and food to make
the afterlife more hospitable.

In earlier periods, these objects were made of expensive materials such as bronze
and other precious metals, but during the Han dynasty, people increasingly
substituted ceramic models. This change deterred looters from robbing the
tombs.

The traces of green glaze covering this storehouse was a typical glaze used for
funerary items during the Han dynasty. In its current state, the glaze appears
iridescent, an effect that came from contact with the soil.
Ackland Art Museum
15
Unidentified artist
Chinese, northern China, Yangshao
culture
Water Jar, c. 2200 BCE
painted earthenware
Fund, 90.39

The Western Yangshao culture thrived in the Yellow River Valley (in modernday Gansu province) from 3300 – 1800 BCE. The swirling black lines with red
and white details on this jar are typical of the Banshan period of that culture
(2800 – 2300 BCE).

Earthenware is a type of clay made of fine rock sediment that has undergone
minimal purification after it has been mined. Its characteristic red color comes
from iron oxide impurities in the clay.

Water jars were made for funerary purposes, and they were decorated only on
their top portion because they were partially buried in a tomb. The white dots
may represent eggs, symbolizing fertility, and by extension, life after death.

This jar was made with the coiling method, in which potters layered long coils of
clay on top of each other, and then smoothed the joins between the layers before
they fired the pots.
Ackland Art Museum
16
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Neolithic, late Dawenkou or
Longshan culture (c. 2800 – 1500 BCE)
Long-stemmed Goblet
burnished earthenware
Gift of the Rubin-Ladd Foundation,
2013.3.1

Black earthenware vessels like this are characteristic of the Longshan culture,
centered in what is now Shandong province in China.

The potter’s wheel appeared in China around 3000 BCE (about the same time
that it was first used in Egypt) just before the earlier period of the Dawenkou
culture. The extremely thin walls of vessels like these probably could not have
been achieved without the wheel.

There are traces of brownish-gray material on the exterior and especially on the
interior of this goblet, presumably the result of having been buried in the earth.
Ackland Art Museum
17
Unidentified artist
Chinese, late Shang dynasty (c. 1600 –
c. 1050 BCE), Anyang period (1300 –
1028 BCE)
Drinking Vessel (Gu), c. 1100 BCE
bronze
Ackland Fund, 60.13.1

This bronze drinking vessel was likely used for ritual offerings of wine. It dates
from the Shang dynasty, the oldest known Chinese dynasty. It was found at
Anyang, which was the site of the Shang capital starting in 1100 BCE.

The decoration suggests a funerary function: the long, leaf-like forms on the
upper portion of the vessel are actually cicadas, which symbolize transformation
and rebirth, and the animal masks on the lower portion, known as taotie, are
tomb guardian spirits.

Bronze was held in high esteem in the Shang dynasty because it produced harder
tools and could take on more complex shapes and decoration than copper alone.

This was one of the first Asian objects in the Ackland’s collection, purchased in
1960 from an auction by the Chapel Hill Friends Meeting. Its sale helped to fund
the construction of their current Meeting House.
Ackland Art Museum
18
Unidentified artist
Storage Jar (Hu)
red earthenware with molded decoration
and amber glaze

This jar was probably used to store ale made from millet, the primary cereal crop
in China.

During the Han dynasty, the potter’s craft became more standardized than in
previous centuries. This storage jar’s regular form and the high relief decoration
on its shoulders are evidence of the ceramic industry’s increasing maturity in this
period.

The deeply-carved frieze on the jar’s shoulder includes tigers, bears, a dragon, a
horse, a mountain sprite, and taotie masks with ring handles.

The animals and the mountain sprite figure may suggest that this frieze was
meant to depict the Isles of the Blessed, the paradise of Daoism, a religion that
was growing in importance during the Han dynasty.
Ackland Art Museum
19
Unidentified artist
220 CE)
Hill Jar, 1st – 2nd century
earthenware with molded decoration and
green glaze
Ackland Fund, 88.28ab

In the Han dynasty, hill jars made in bronze functioned as wine-warming vessels
for use in daily life. Hill jars made in earthenware like this one (called boshan lu),
were models of wine-warming vessels. They were set in tombs for use by the
deceased in the afterlife, often accompanied by a heating tray, ladles, and cups.

Around the body of the jar a continuous frieze depicts animals and fairies
running in stylized hills. Two molded mask-and-ring handles indicate where real
handles may have been placed on a bronze hill jar. The tripod feet are squatting
rabbits. On the jar’s cover is a mountain range in which humans on horses and
oxen hunt tigers, monkeys, oxen, and birds.

The green glaze was made with lead and therefore poisonous. Congealed drops
of glaze on the very top of the mountains show that the lid to this hill jar was
fired upside down, probably inside the vessel itself in order to save kiln space.
Ackland Art Museum
20
Unidentified artist
220 CE)
Amphora, 2nd-3rd century
black burnished earthenware with
bronze fittings

Amphoras like this one, known as lifan, are unique in the history of Chinese
ceramics, with forms and decoration distinct from other types of pottery. Very
few lifan amphoras like this one are on public display.

The name lifan derives from the district of Sichuan province, Lifan, where
archeologists discovered ceramics of this type.

The geometric forms may have been designed to recall metalware; the sixteen
studs decorating the surface show traces of a thin bronze overlay, which would
have shone brightly against the black surface of the vessel. The studs at the
center of the circular designs on the belly resemble eyes.

The practical, sturdy handles suggest that this amphora was used in everyday
life, perhaps as a pouring vessel for fine grains.
Ackland Art Museum
21
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Yuezhou, Zhejiang province;
Eastern Jin dynasty (317 – 420 CE)
Chicken-head Ewer, 4th century
glazed stoneware, Deqing ware
Gift of F. Eunice and Herbert F.
Shatzman, 2003.28.1

This chicken-head ewer comes from the Deqing kilns, located in modern
Zhejiang province. Potters working at the Deqing kilns were the earliest to
develop brown and black glazed pottery.

The ewer is made of stoneware, which is a finer clay than earthenware.
Stoneware was valued because it is chip-resistant and watertight even without
glaze.

To achieve the deep brown color, potters used twice as much iron oxide as they
did when making green glazes. Glazes with so much iron oxide were notoriously
difficult to control, however, and many of the early examples are mottled and
streaked. This ewer’s glaze was applied very thickly to create its rich color and
lustrous surface.

The spout shaped like a rooster’s head derives from the ancient Chinese practice
of sealing a pledge by drinking wine mixed with rooster’s blood.
Ackland Art Museum
22
Unidentified artist
Jar
painted earthenware
Gift of Charles Millard in honor of Eunice
and Herbert Shatzman, 2002.27

This jar is a rare example of Tang dynasty ceramics that were painted but
unglazed; such vessels were also made during the first through third centuries,
in the late Han dynasty.

The foliate decoration on this jar may have been derived from the patterns of
Persian textiles. Many Persians fled to China after the fall of the Sasanian empire
(224 – 651 CE). Chinese art and culture in this time period often reflected the
influence of the many foreign peoples with whom the Chinese were in contact.
Ackland Art Museum
23
Unidentified artist
Tripod Vessel (Fu)
earthenware with three-color (sancai) lead
glaze
Fund, 90.38

The glaze on this vessel is called sancai, which means three color in Chinese.
Ceramics with sancai glaze were highly fashionable during the Tang dynasty
and used by elite families as funerary objects to emulate items used in their daily
lives.

The patterns in sancai glazes were inspired by the textiles of Central Asia, which
became popular in Chinese cities as the rulers of the Tang dynasty expanded
their empire westward and developed trade relationships with other countries.

The distinctive coloring results in part from the clay, which has a very low iron
content and turns white instead of red after firing. The iron oxide and copper
oxide in the glazes fire red and green, respectively. Potters splashed the two
glazes on the vessel knowing that they would run and blend to produce a range
of hues.
Ackland Art Museum
24
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Changsha region, Hunan
province; late Tang dynasty (618 –
907 CE) or early Five Dynasties period
(907 – 960 CE)
Ewer with Bird Decoration, 10th century
stoneware with celadon-type glaze and
iron oxide decoration
Spain Purchase Fund, 96.6

This ewer was made in Hunan province, at the Changsha kilns, which were
famous for producing stoneware of this type. Changsha wares, with their coarse
clay and simple forms were made for everyday use by ordinary people.

The bird depicted on this ewer may be a red-billed leiothrix, which always flies
in pairs and takes one mate for life, symbolizing marital happiness.

Changsha potters were the first to decorate ceramics by painting directly on the
clay with iron oxide and covering the entire vessel with celadon glaze. The
painted scenes on vessels like this were intended to beautify an otherwise
inexpensive piece.

Changsha wares have been unearthed in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Iran,
and Egypt. Some of these ceramics have been painted with sayings in Arabic,
indicating that they were produced for export.
Ackland Art Museum
25
Zhang Family
Chinese, Song dynasty (960 – 1279 CE)
Pillow, 12th century
stoneware, white and dark brown slip,
colorless glaze
Ackland Fund, 88.30

Ceramic pillows like this one were typically used for burial, though the living
sometimes slept on them as well.

A stamp on the bottom of this pillow reads: “Zhang family pillow.” It indicates
that the famous Zhang family of potters made it at an ancient Cizhou kiln site in
northern China’s Hebei province. The Zhang family worked there for over three
hundred years.

There was a tradition in Chinese ceramics of painting colored designs on
porcelain that had first been dipped in white slip (diluted clay). In this technique,
the artist draws with a brush as though he were working on paper, using just a
few quick brushstrokes to convey the spirit of the subject.

The crane design is associated with luck because it adorned the robes of officials
who had risen to high levels. The bamboo denotes both strength and luck
because it can bend without breaking.
Ackland Art Museum
26
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Northern Song dynasty (960 –
1127 CE) or Jin (Golden Tartars) dynasty
(1115 – 1234 CE)
Ribbed Jar with Two Handles, 12th
century
glazed stoneware, Cizhou-type ware
Shatzman, 2003.28.10

This ribbed jar is a classic Cizhou type that was produced at various kilns in
Hebei and Henan provinces, based on evidence from archeological finds. The
term Cizhou applies to stoneware produced at kilns in these northern provinces
during this time period.

Although potters sometimes carved ribs into the moist clay surface, they usually
applied them onto the surface of the vessel in slip (clay thinned with water)
before applying the dark glaze. During firing the glaze pulled away from the
ribs, leaving them exposed and resulting in a striking contrast of delicate white
lines against a glossy black background.
Ackland Art Museum
27
Unidentified artist
1127 CE) or Southern Song dynasty (1127
– 1279 CE)
Pie (Conical) Tea Bowl with Hare’s-fur
Glaze, 12th or 13th century
glazed stoneware, Jian ware

Tea bowls like this were made by the Jian kilns and intended both for popular
consumption and for use in Buddhist monasteries. Tea drinking had become a
common practice to help the monks stay awake during meditation.

This shape developed from tea bowls that were popular in preceding centuries
when people drank tea mixed with other ingredients such as scallions, jujubes,
and ginger. The trumpet shaped mouth facilitated drinking the various solid
ingredients in the tea.

The glaze technique is called hare’s fur, characterized by streaks that ranged in
color from yellowish to russet to silver. Creating this effect relied on the
combination of an iron-rich clay, from which the bowl was made, with a glaze
possibly made of the same clay mixed with wood ash.

Potters glazed the bowls fully on the interior but only partially on the exterior,
and fired them right side up. As the glaze melted, gravity pulled it downward to
accumulate in a thick glassy pool in the bottom of the vessel’s interior, while on
the exterior a thick roll formed above the base, sometimes along with glassy
drips that stopped short of the base.
Ackland Art Museum
28
Unidentified artist
1127 CE) or Southern Song dynasty (1127
– 1279 CE)
Tea Bowl with Tortoiseshell Glaze, 12th
or 13th century
glazed stoneware, Jizhou ware

Jizhou wares were made at kilns in Jiangxi province, which was known as Jizhou
during the time this bowl was made.

The tortoiseshell glaze on this tea bowl was an innovation of the Southern Song
dynasty. Potters applied wood or bamboo ash on top of the glaze; during the
firing the ash melted into the dark glazes to yield varied effects like this.

Jizhou tortoiseshell bowls were admired for the way they brightened the light
color of the tea served in them.
Ackland Art Museum
29
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Jin (Golden Tartars) dynasty
(1115 – 1234 CE)
Bowl with Decoration of Russet Stripes,
12th or 13th century

This bowl came from northern China during the period when the Jin controlled
the area. Vessels like this one, with streaked and russet patterns, were staples of
Jin dynasty wares.

The stripes were applied swiftly so that they vary in length, strength, and
spacing. There are seven strokes on the inside of the bowl and exactly three times
as many on the outside, but there is no rigid correlation between those in the
inside and those on the outside – it as though the numerical relationship
emerged by accident.
Ackland Art Museum
30
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Southern Song dynasty (1127 –
1279 CE) or Yuan dynasty (1279 – 1368
CE)
Small Jar with Willow-basket
Decoration, 13th or 14th century
glazed stoneware, Ganzhou ware

Jars like this are often called Ganzhou ware, and they were made at kilns in the
Jizhou region. They were most popular in the Southern Song period but were
also made in the Yuan dynasty.

The globular shape, straight neck, and rolled lip are typical of this type of jar, as
are the russet glaze on the interior and lip and the unglazed exterior. The exterior
decoration was made with finely combed lines that suggest basket weave
patterns. The raised white dots that resemble a string of pearls were made with
white glaze.

This type of vessel is often called a rice measure, though the exact function is not
known.
Ackland Art Museum
31
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Henan province; Northern Song
dynasty (960 – 1127 CE)
Tea Bowl and Stand, 11th century
Shatzman, 2003.28.2ab

As early as the Tang dynasty (618 – 907 CE), potters paired tea bowls with
stands, which allowed tea drinkers to hold a vessel filled with hot tea more
easily. It is rare, however, for a pair to have survived intact.

This tea bowl and stand were created at the Cizhou kilns in Henan province.
Made of stoneware, they are sturdier than fine porcelain ceramics. The reddishbrown color of the clay is visible along the rim of the cup and at the base of the
stand, where the glaze has pulled away.

The subtle, mottled silver pattern on the surface of these two objects was
probably caused by excess iron oxide in the glaze, which crystallized on the
surface during firing.
Ackland Art Museum
32
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Southern Song dynasty (1127 –
1279 CE)
Stem Cup and Cup Stand
glazed porcelain, yingqing ware

The subtle blue undertone of the glaze on this stem cup and stand was intended
to mimic the color and texture of bluish-white jade. The term for this type of
object is qingbai, later called yingqing, which translates as shadow-blue.

To achieve this effect, potters added a small amount of ferrous oxide to the glaze
and then fired the ceramics in a reduction (oxygen-starved) atmosphere.

Qingbai wares were made at the Jingdezhen dragon kilns in southern China’s
Jiangxi province, so called because the long kilns snaked over hillsides like
dragons’ bodies. Large dragon kilns could fire nearly 10,000 vessels at one time.

To prevent the delicate walls of these vessels from warping during firing, they
were fired upside down in the kilns. This practice explains the slightly rough
quality of the cup’s rim.
Ackland Art Museum
33
Unidentified artist
1127 CE)
Conical Bowl, 11th – 12th century
glazed porcelaneous stoneware, yaozhou
ware
Gift of the Ackland Associates, 87.13

This bowl was made at the Yaozhou kilns in northern China, which operated for
over 800 years. They were particularly active in the eleventh and twelfth
centuries, when they were well known for producing celadon wares like this
bowl.

The leaf patterns on this bowl are delicate and sharp suggesting that they were
incised by hand. Later the Yaozhou kilns replaced labor intensive freehand
carving with the more economical method of applying design molds to the clay.

Yaozhou wares were a global commodity, traded with Korea and Japan, western
Asia, and the east coast of Africa. They included many different kinds of
utilitarian objects and over 200 different decorative motifs.

The celadon glaze on Yaozhou wares was applied so that it pooled and darkened
in the recesses of the design, heightening the effect of three-dimensional relief.
Ackland Art Museum
34
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Zhejiiang province; Southern
Song dynasty (1127 – 1279 CE)
Small Dish, probably 13th century
porcelaneous stoneware with bluishgreen glaze, Longquan celadon ware
Gift of Lena J. Stewart, 91.167

The distinctive blue-green glaze of this dish identifies it as Longquan celadon, a
type of stoneware long prized for its curious capacity to make an opaque vessel
seem almost transparent. The celadon glaze was applied in several thick layers to
mimic the texture and color of good quality jade.

Located in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, the Longquan kilns produced
ceramics for over 1,600 years, longer than any other kiln complex in Chinese
history.

Longquan potters developed the signature celadon glaze, considered the height
of Chinese celadon achievement, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

The term celadon is a European invention. Ceramics connoisseurs in Europe may
have derived it from seventeenth-century French pastoral comedy, whose hero
Celadon wore a similar color of green.
Ackland Art Museum
35
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Yuan dynasty (1279 – 1368 CE)
Covered Box with Mouse Decoration,
c. 1300
porcelain, yingqing ware

This covered box was probably made in the early years of the Yuan dynasty,
when Kublai Khan united all of China under Mongol rule. Khan chose to
establish the Yuan imperial kiln at the Jingdezhen porcelain center, which long
had been famous for its bluish-white (yingqing) wares.

Yingqing vessels, with their subtle blue undertones, were the precursors to the
coveted blue and white wares of the Ming dynasty. They were made from kaolin
clay combined with petuntse, a variety of feldspar, and covered with a
translucent blue glaze.

The mouse on top of this box may refer to the first of the twelve animal signs of
the Chinese zodiac, the mouse or rat.
Ackland Art Museum
36
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911 CE),
Yongzheng reign (1723 – 1735 CE)
Stem Cup
porcelain with incised decoration under
yellow glaze
Gift of Eunice and Herbert Shatzman in
honor of Sherman Lee, 97.27

Inside the stem of this cup is a blue reign mark that reads: “made during the
Yongzheng reign of the Great Qing Dynasty.” Emperor Yongzheng ruled from
1723 to 1735, during which time he avidly supported imperial ceramics, even
funneling surplus government funds to the kilns.

During the Qing dynasty, the variety and quality of monochrome glazes greatly
increased. This stem cup was clearly made for imperial use, as yellow was the
royal color of the Qing dynasty.

The incised decoration depicts stylized lotus flowers, which in Buddhism
symbolize purity and the expansion of the soul. This was a fitting choice because
the royal family was Buddhist.

This porcelain cup is displayed upside down so that it is possible to view both
the reign mark and the delicate incised decoration on the vessel’s surface.
Ackland Art Museum
37
Unidentified artist
Kangxi reign (1662 – 1722 CE)
Bottle-shaped Vase, c. 1700
porcelain with underglaze decoration in
cobalt blue
Gift of Herbert and Eunice Shatzman in
honor of Ruth and Sherman Lee, 99.22.1

Demand for blue and white porcelain was immense both in China and abroad.
Judging by the motif near the bottom of this vase, however, it was likely
intended for Chinese patrons. The motif is a stylized depiction of a treasure vase,
which symbolizes long life and wealth. It is one of what are called the Eight
Auspicious Objects of Buddhism.

Though the Chinese had been making some form of blue and white pottery for
centuries, vessels made during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing dynasty
were particular prized for their rich, sapphire-blue hues.

The cobalt used to make the blue underglaze was imported from Iran. Contact
with Islamic regions might account for some of the stylistic characteristics of the
decorations. Some of the forms in the frieze on the vase’s shoulder resemble
inverted ogee arches.
Ackland Art Museum
38
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE),
Xuande reign (1426 – 1435 CE)
Dish
porcelain with red glaze
honor of Ruth and Sherman Lee, 98.26

This red monochrome glazed porcelain dish is a rare example of the rich copper
red glaze made during the Ming dynasty. Only a few dozen known red vessels
like it survive in the world.

The red color came from adding colloidal copper particles to transparent glaze. It
was notoriously difficult to produce successful red-glazed wares – too little
copper in the glaze left it colorless, but too much resulted in a mottled, muddy
brown color. Thus, evenly-colored vessels like this one were highly prized.

The white lip around the edge is the result of the size and weight of the copper
particles: when the glaze boiled in the kiln, the particles slid down, leaving no
pigment on the highest point in the dish.

The blue reign mark on the back of the dish dates it to the reign of the Xuande
emperor, which began in 1426. During his tenure, the Court of Imperial
Entertainments employed thousands of chefs, and the ceramics most often
produced were vessels for food and drink: bowls, plates, cups, and dishes.
Ackland Art Museum
39
Unidentified artist
Kangxi reign (1661 – 1722 CE)
Plate, c. 1700
porcelain with multi-colored glaze
honor of Ruth and Sherman Lee, 99.22.2

There were many trends in porcelain decoration during the Kangxi reign. They
included: famille rose (mainly pink decoration), tou-ts’ai (contrasting color
decoration), wu-ts’ai (underglaze blue with multi-color decoration), and famille
verte (mainly green decoration). This plate can be classified as famille verte.

The motifs decorating this plate are all symbols of wisdom and luxury, including
exotic birds and animals, plants in ornate pots and stands, and books tied in
ribbon.
Ackland Art Museum
40
Unidentified artist
Bodhisattva, 7th century
limestone
Fund, 97.17

Bodhisattvas are usually depicted adorned with jewels and lavish drapery unlike
the Buddha, who is shown without personal adornment.

This bodhisattva shows the impact of Indian art on Chinese sculpture with its
sinuous posture, gracefully curving drapery folds, and long strands of jewels. It
is a classic example of Tang dynasty Buddhist sculpture.

There was a major persecution of Buddhism in China in the ninth century
because it had originated outside China, and many Buddhist sculptures were
damaged or destroyed.
Ackland Art Museum
41
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Northern Qi dynasty (550 –
577 CE)
Head of a Bodhisattva
limestone
Ackland Fund, 91.65

This figure’s flowering crown with ribbons hanging from each side is typical of
Chinese bodhisattva images from the second half of the sixth century.

Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who, out of compassion, forgo nirvana
(release from earthly existence) in order to help others reach enlightenment.

This figure may represent Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, who
was revered in China under the name of Guanyin. In the period when it was
made, elaborately adorned figural sculptures like this one coincided with a
growing devotion to Avalokiteshvara.
Ackland Art Museum
42
Unidentified artist
Monumental Head of a Lohan,
14th century
wood, cloth fragments
Gift of the Tyche Foundation, 2010.30

Lohan is the Chinese term for the Sanskrit word arhat, which in Buddhism
indicates someone who has put an end to all desires and attained spiritual
enlightenment. Lohans are considered peaceful guardians and are often included
in temples either in sculpture or painted form.

This lohan from the fourteenth century has a prominent forehead, furrowed
brow, and intense gaze, emphasizing his monklike austerity, concentration, and
religious commitment. These features also suggest the openness to foreign
artistic influences under Mongol rule in the Yuan dynasty.

At the beginning of the Yuan dynasty, Kublai Khan reunited all of China under
Mongol rule, incorporating it into an empire that extended westward as far as
modern Hungary and Poland. This brought Chinese artists in contact with a
variety of artistic influences.
Ackland Art Museum
43
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE)
Zhenwu
glazed ceramic, Cizhou ware
Gift of Susan and Robert Otterbourg,
2007.20.3

Zhenwu, one of the most important deities in Daoism, appears in human form
accompanied by a tortoise and snake. This imagery developed from an earlier
emblem that consisted of a tortoise entwined with a snake without a human
figure.

Zhenwu is recognizable by his long, unbound hair and bare feet, as well as by
the armor beneath his robes. The armor underscores his role as a martial god,
while the long hair and bare feet refer to a long spiritual retreat he made to
Mount Wudang in Hubei.

He eventually became known as a protector of the state and imperial family.
Imperial sponsorship of Zhenwu reached its peak during the Ming dynasty; the
third Ming emperor credited Zhenwu with helping him seize the throne.

Small statues like this one, made for personal worship, were common in the
Ming dynasty. They were usually made from porcelain, although sometimes also
from more costly materials like bronze and gold.
Ackland Art Museum
44
Unidentified artist
or Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE)
Head of Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy
gilded and painted cast iron
Ackland Fund, 88.29

Devotion to Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy, developed in China during the third
through sixth centuries. Traditionally Guanyin was depicted as a man in Chinese
art, but during the Song dynasty (960 – 1279 CE), the bodhisattva was
reimagined as a female.

The curls, continuous eyebrow, elongated ears, and the curve of the eyelids are
typical of the Ming dynasty representations of Guanyin, but the head and crown
resemble the style of earlier periods.

The elaborate crown was cast separately from the rest of the head. It is adorned
with stylized lotus blossoms, which are usually also held in the hand of Guanyin.
The small seated figure at the top of the crown is Amitabha, the Buddha of the
Western Paradise and central figure of a form of Buddhist practice known as
Pure Land Buddhism.
Ackland Art Museum
45
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Five Dynasties period (907 –
960 CE)
Seated Bodhisattva with Peony Scrolled
Mandorla, 10th century
bronze with traces of red (cinnabar)
pigment
Gift of Clara T. and Gilbert J. Yager and
Ackland Fund, 92.22

This bodhisattva sits on a lotus blossom. His left hand holds a bowl and his right
hand forms the “fear not” mudra, or gesture. He originally wore a crown (it is
now missing), and he wears a necklace, standard iconography identifying him as
a bodhisattva and not a buddha.

The open lotus blossom above the bodhisattva’s head symbolizes the
compassionate nature of the Buddha. The large double halo is surrounded with
ornate floral lattice work represents the flames of Buddhist knowledge.

He wears several layers of loose drapery, belted and knotted high on the torso.
The drapery, which covers the figure’s body, is typical of tenth-century northern
Chinese bodhisattvas. At this time, Chinese sculptors relied less on Indian
influences in making Buddhist images and relied more on Chinese ideas.
Ackland Art Museum
46
Unidentified artist
Chinese, Late Tang dynasty (618 –
907 CE) or Five dynasties period (907 –
960 CE); or Yuan dynasty (1279 –
1368 CE)
Demon, 10th or 14th century
gilt bronze
Ackland Fund, 92.25

As the information on this object’s label suggests, the Ackland is not certain
when this Buddhist image of a demon was made or specifically what it
represents.

If it is from the tenth century, it may have been made in the later Tang dynasty or
the period known as the Five dynasties period. Beginning in the early part of the
Tang dynasty, many artists revived stylistic features of earlier periods. This
demon’s broad face and plump body are examples of that revival.

It is possible that the figure was part of an altar group. It could be an attendant or
guardian of the deity Chung Kuei, called the Demon Queller.
Ackland Art Museum
47
Unidentified artist
Japanese, Kamakura period (1185 –
1333 CE)
Bishamonten, c. 1300
painted wood with additions in metal
and crystal
Fund, Purchased in memory of
Chancellor Michael K. Hooker, 2000.7

The four guardian kings protect the four quarters of the cosmos and their images,
trampling on vanquished demons, may be stationed at the four corners of an
altar with a sculpture of the Buddha in the middle.

Bishamonten is the Japanese name for the king of the north, the chief of the four
guardians. He is also considered the protector of warriors and the state.

The inlaid crystal eyes and flaming halo enhance his fierce expression. His
dynamic posture and swirling draperies seem to contain reserves of stored
energy.

Bishamonten carries a stupa, a symbol of the Buddhist faith in his left hand and
in his right hand, he originally carried a lance (which is now missing).
Ackland Art Museum
48
Unidentified artist
Japanese, Late Heian period (898 –
1185 CE)
Standing Buddha, c. 12th century
wood
Gift of Ruth and Sherman Lee, 2003.35.4

Originally, this standing Buddha was attached to a wooden panel, which may
have been a large round or oval mandorla.

The artist uses the drapery’s curving, nearly parallel lines to define the figure’s
torso and each limb, so that the clothing seems to cling to his body.

Judging by the placement of the figure’s left arm, his original left hand was in the
boon-granting gesture (or mudra) and the missing right hand in the “fear not”
mudra.
Ackland Art Museum
52
Nishida Jun
Japanese, 1977 – 2005
Clay sculpture with embedded tubes
#11, c. 2001-05
porcelaneous stoneware, porcelain,
feldspar, and powdered glaze
Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz Collection,
L2014.1.1

Nishida Jun had already become a force in the world of contemporary Japanese
ceramics by the time of his death at age twenty-eight.

This sculpture is slip-casted with hand-built tubes saturated and enclosed by a
thick application of white glaze and fired at a high temperature.

During the firing process, the outside glaze rose in temperature at a different rate
from the cooler center of the object. As a result, the glaze spilled over, melted,
morphed, yet preserved the crisp tube structures underneath.
1977: Born in Osaka, Japan
2000: BFA in Ceramics, Kyoto Seika University, Kyoto, Japan, first solo exhibition
Dojidai Gallery, Kyoto
2002: MFA in Ceramics, Kyoto Seika University
2005: Died on 26 March in Bali in an accident while building a kiln
Ackland Art Museum
57
Shiro Tsujimura
Japanese, born 1947
Tea Bowl, 2003
stoneware with hikidashi-guro glaze

In the sixteenth century, the tea master Sen no Rikyu expressed a preference for
tea bowls made by local potters in traditional ancient kiln styles with simple
designs and imperfections, prompting a significant change in Japanese tea
ceramics. He considered the Chinese porcelain wares favored by the nobility to
be ostentatious.

Many contemporary ceramic artists like Tsujimura create tea bowls in a variety
of glaze styles. The one on this bowl, called hikidashi-guro (pulled out black),
was a favorite of Sen no Rikyu.

Tsujimura has said that a tea bowl should perfectly match a guest’s personality.
As with individual people, the beauty of his tea bowls is not in their perfection,
but instead in their individual flaws.
1947: Born in Gosei, Nara Prefecture
1965: Went to Tokyo to study oil painting but decided to focus on pottery
1966-68: Resided at Sanshoji, a zen temple in Nara
1968: Began making pottery
1970: Moved to Mima, Nara City
Ackland Art Museum
58
Yamada Kazu
Japanese, born 1954
“Dancing Fire” Tea Bowl, 2013
earthenware, Shino ware
L2013.25.10

Yamada Kazu’s tea bowl is not only something to be held, but also something to
be contemplated, while watching the illusion of dancing along the tea bowl as if
it came right out of the flames of the kiln.

Tea bowls have long been an important part of Japanese culture. Since the
Momoyama period (1573 – 1615 CE), they have served as symbols of status and
taste for the upper classes of society. They are judged on a combination of shape,
weight, and aesthetic appearance.

There is a Japanese proverb that states: “If man has no tea in him, he is incapable
of understanding truth and beauty.”
1954: Born in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture
1978: Turned away from making ceramic sculptures towards more traditional forms
Ackland Art Museum
59
Shiro Tsujimura
Japanese, born 1947
Small Jar, 2003
stoneware with wood-ash glaze

Tsujimura is an entirely self-taught artist who recreates functional ceramics in
traditional Japanese styles.

The bubbles on this small jar come from the extreme heat of the kiln and enliven
its surface. In the kiln, the wood ash spread over the jar in an unpredictable way,
producing beautiful imperfections and enhancing the effect of spontaneity.

Shiro Tsujimura initially wanted to study oil painting, but he was inspired to
make ceramics instead after seeing a tea bowl at the Japan Folk Crafts Museum.
1947: Born in Gosei, Nara Prefecture
1965: Went to Tokyo to study oil painting but decided to focus on pottery
1966-68: Resided at Sanshoji, a zen temple in Nara
1968: Began making pottery
1970: Moved to Mima, Nara City
Ackland Art Museum
60
Koie Ryoji
Japanese, born 1938
Jar, 2005
stoneware, Oribe ware
Promised Gift of Carol and Jeffrey
Horvitz, L2014.17

Koie fired this vessel upside down, creating great pools of green glaze that cover
the interior of the jar and give the effect of a swirling tidal pool full of depth and
energy.

This functional jar is typical of the visual and material characteristics of his work.
He scored the bare pottery with jumbled lines, applied expressionistic
brushstrokes, and then covered the surface with a thick green glaze.

Tokonome, where this artist was born, is one of the six ancient kiln sites of Japan.

Koie is known as a radical artist and in some of his works he makes overt
political commentary, for example in works like No More Hiroshima, Nagasaki and
Chernobyl or in another, entitled See No Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil which was
made after the events of September 11, 2001 and represents tall, breaking towers.
1938: Born in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture
1957: Received diploma from Tokoname Prefectural High School Industrial
Ceramics Department and went to work at a tile manufacturing company.
1962: Became a researcher at the Tokoname Municipal Ceramics Research Institute
1966: Began making art full time
Ackland Art Museum
61
Unidentified artist
Japanese, Edo period (1600 – 1868)
Tea Dish, late 17th century
earthenware with iron wash and green
glaze decoration, Oribe ware
The William A. Whitaker Foundation
Art Fund, 90.57

This dish is decorated with pampas grasses rendered in loose, elegant
brushstrokes. In Japanese tradition, pampas grass is a symbol of autumn. Dishes
with this decoration, then, would have been used for the tea ceremony during
the autumn months.

The term Oribe ware comes from the tea master Furuta Oribe, who was a student
of Sen Rikyu. Oribe refined the tea ceremony further and expressed a preference
for a warped appearance, called wabi, in tea wares.

The bold surface decoration associated with Oribe wares may have come from
designs on a type of cloth popular with the military class.
Ackland Art Museum
62
Unidentified artist
Japanese, Muromachi period (1392 –
1573)
Storage Jar, 15th century
stoneware with applied wood ash
glaze, Tamba ware
The William A. Whitaker Foundation
Art Fund, 91.82

This storage jar is a type of object that contemporary ceramic artists consider
models for their own work. It is appreciated today – as it was in its own day – for
its rugged form and the glaze effects, which result from varying the kiln
temperature during firing.

Originally it may have been used to hold grain or, because of the intriguing
markings on its surface from the wood ash fire, it may have been appropriate for
use as a water holder in the tea ceremony.

Tamba is a term that refers to one of six ancient kilns in Japan: Seto, Tokoname,
Shigaraki, Bizan, Echizen, and Tamba. The green glaze streak down the center of
the jar is characteristic of Tamba wares.
Ackland Art Museum
63
Fukami Sueharu
Japanese, born 1947
To the Sky (Sorani), 2001
porcelain with seihakuji glaze

Fukami is perhaps the best known contemporary Japanese ceramic artist
worldwide. His characteristic light blue-green glaze recalls porcelains of the
Song dynasty in China (960 – 1279 CE). This glaze is Fukami’s signature and he
uses it to create both functional wares like sake cups or incense burners and
grand abstract sculptures.

Sorani’s streamlined form, smooth glaze, and crisp edges give it an effect of
lightness, as if it is ready to take flight.

Fukami uses pressure slip cast methods to make forms like this, then files them
down to achieve the sharp points and sleek forms that characterize his work.
1947: Born in Kyoto
1963: Graduated from the Kyoto Ceramics Training School
1965: Graduated from the Kyoto Arts and Crafts Training Center
1981: Taught ceramics at Alberta University, Canada
1985: Won a grand prize at the International Competition of Contemporary Ceramic
art in Faenza, Italy
Ackland Art Museum
64
Kondo Takahiro
Japanese, born 1958
Box, 2005
porcelain with white underglaze and
“silver mist” overglaze; pâte-de-verre
cast glass cover
L2013.15.11

Kondo is from a family of well-known potters. Like his father and grandfather,
he mainly works with blue and white glazes.

He created a new glaze, now patented, called gintekisai. This glaze resembles a
silver mist in metallic droplets of condensation on the surfaces of his porcelain
objects. It is composed of platinum, gold, silver, and glass.

Kondo’s rectangular box has a light blue-green glaze covered with the silvery
gintekisai glaze. The fitted, solid glass top appears to have sprays of mist inside,
an effect that mimics steam erupting in a solid block of ice.
1958: Born in Kyoto.
1982: Graduated from the Literature Department, Hôsei University
1985: Completed training at Kyoto Ceramics Training School
1986: Completed training at Kyoto Industrial Research Institute
2002: Earned a Masters of Design and Applied Arts degree, Edinburgh College of
Art
Ackland Art Museum
65
Nagae Shigekazu
Japanese, born 1953
Object, c. 1992
porcelain with white glaze
L2013.25.5

Nagae fires clay at a very high heat in his gas kiln, molding the delicate porcelain
into sleek, often unpredictable abstract sculptures. He embraces characteristics
often seen as flaws, like warps, bends, and curves.

Nagae’s ceramics are art objects rather than functional objects. This object’s
visual effects are typical of his work: it is made of hard porcelain that appears
soft and light, with crisp edges that seem to float. It strives to engage viewers’
visual and tactile senses.

The silhouettes in Nagae’s works often suggest natural elements like wind,
waves, and the landscape surrounding his hometown of Seto.
1953: Born in Seto, Aichi
1974: Completed Special Ceramic Study Course, Seto Ceramics Training Institute
1977: Lecturer at Special Pottery Study Course, Seto Ceramics Training Institute
1999: Lecturer at Bunsei Art College
2002: Joined the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva, Switzerland
Ackland Art Museum

Art of China and Japan

Transcription

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