Exhibition ‘Ceramics of Medieval Japan: The Six Old Kilns and Their Envisions’ Opened

On September 4, the exhibition titled ‘Ceramics of Medieval Japan: The Six Old Kilns and Their Envisions’ opened at the MIHO MUSEUM (until December 12). It featured works from the six ancient kilns known to have operated continuously from the medieval period to the present day – Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Shigaraki, Tanba, and Bizen – alongside pieces from medieval kilns across Japan which were revealed by recent excavations. Research into the pre-war history of active kilns heightened interest in ancient kilns, leading to the introduction of the Six Ancient Kilns. The exhibition displayed approximately 170 works from various medieval kilns, building on the achievements of excavations to date, which had revealed the existence of around 80 medieval kilns throughout Japan, including those at Sanage, Mino/Mino Sue, Atsumi, Kosai, Iga, Kaga, and Suzu. It showcased the diversity of clay, techniques, and forms unique to each kiln, presenting a comprehensive exhibition that demonstrated the breadth of medieval pottery production. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum (January 2 – March 21, 2011), Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum (April 2. May 22, 2011), Fukui Prefectural Museum of Ceramics (May 28 – July 31, 2011) and Hagi Uragami Museum (August 13 – September 25, 2011). (Japanese)