About

This special show—devoted to a key component of the Japanese aesthetic tradition that is as dynamic today as it was 10,000 years ago—starts with a small group of stoneware vessels dating from the sixth to the seventeenth century, all of them fired for several days at very high temperatures without deliberate glazing. Their dynamic surface finish derives from accumulations of wood ash circulating in the kiln’s atmosphere; as the ash settled, its silica content melted and fused to create patches and streaks of color that complement the vessels’ robust forms and rugged surfaces.

Originally made …