Arts and Culture

Japanese ceramics exhibit ongoing in Met Museum

Dolly Dy-Zulueta - Philstar.com

July 21, 2024 | 9:49am

Japanese ceramics exhibit ongoing in Met Museum

The exhibit puts the spotlight on Yakishime, a unique Japanese ceramics technique.

Photo release

MANILA, Philippines — "Earth Metamorphosis," a Japanese ceramics touring exhibit that will make stops in Manila and Iloilo, has begun its Philippine tour in Bonifacio Global City with a month-long show in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

The Japan Foundation’s traveling exhibit will be on view until July 31, and its name, Yakishime, refers to a unique Japanese ceramics technique known for its unglazed, high-fired wares, which have been celebrated for their natural aesthetics.

“This exhibition introduces Yakishime ceramics, which developed distinctively in Japan as part of its traditional culture,” said exhibition curator Mieko Iwai. “It explores the history of Yakishime from its origins to the present, its use in tea wares and utensils for serving food, and its emergence as objets d’art. It will offer visitors from other cultures, unfamiliar with these simple yet profoundly tasteful ceramics, an excellent opportunity to experience a sensibility and aesthetic unique to Japan.”

Touring the world since 2016, the exhibition features objects that span the chronicles of Yakishime. Prominently showcased in the exhibition are utilitarian earthenware, the oldest of which are from the pre-feudal Heian period (794– 1185), as well as tea wares from the Momoyama period (1574–1600). Also highlighted are Yakishime as contemporary forms of art, including works from noted Japanese ceramicists Takashi Ikura, Kyoko Tokumaru and Makiko Hattori.

“We are excited to bring these cultural treasures from Japan to a Filipino audience. This aspect of Japanese culture may not be familiar to many people, so we hope that experiencing Yakishime will reveal another side of Japan that people can truly appreciate,” said Ben Suzuki, Director of The Japan Foundation, Manila.

After its run in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the exhibition will move to Iloilo, where it will be hosted by the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) starting in August.

Admission to the exhibition’s run in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila is free. For the duration of the exhibition, there will be hands-on workshops and special events taking place. The schedule will be announced on The Japan Foundation Manila’s official website (www.jfmo.org.ph) and their social media platforms.