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Curator's Corner

Gem of the Month: Seto Ware

Monday, June 30, 2025 | Karl Cole

Let’s welcome the coming month of July with a gorgeous example of ceramics from Japan. Japanese ceramics have an incredibly long history and tradition of excellence. This tradition dates back to ...

Curator's Corner

International Pomegranate Month: Lu Zonggui and Keiko Mori

Monday, November 11, 2024 | Karl Cole

I can’t find anything about the history of International Pomegranate Month. However, I think pomegranate juice is yummy (and good for you), so let’s celebrate the month with art! ...

Curator's Corner

Art for National Peach Month 2024

Monday, August 19, 2024 | Karl Cole

August was first declared National Peach Month in the United States in 1982. Since August is the month when peaches are supposed to be at their peak ripeness, let’s look at some works of art tha ...

Curator's Corner

Gem of the Month: Kyoko Tokumaru

Monday, June 10, 2024 | Karl Cole

Kyoko Tokumaru is a brilliant sculptor who creates organic forms in ceramics, fashioning complex pieces out of hard-to-work-with porcelain. Like many contemporary clay sculptures, Tokumaru’s wor ...

Curator's Corner

Gems of the Month: Contemporary Japanese Tea Bowls

Monday, May 8, 2023 | Karl Cole

This month’s gems are contemporary artworks that serve the ages-old Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu or sado). Tea drinking was first introduced in Japan during the Nara period (710–794) aft ...

Curator's Corner

A Young Wheat Plant for Spring: Hamada Shōji

Monday, April 17, 2023 | Karl Cole

As an avid learner of the thousands of years of Japanese ceramic arts history, I am always excited to contemplate an artist’s work that I had never studied carefully before. Shōji Hama ...

Curator's Corner

Respect for History: Kako Katsumi

Friday, April 19, 2019 | Karl Cole

Never underestimate the aesthetic power of an ancient culture’s art. That can certainly be said of the stranglehold ancient Greek and Roman culture has had on Western art since the Renaissance ( ...

Curator's Corner

Layered Magnificence: Miyashita Zenji

Tuesday, October 28, 2014 | Karl Cole

I am eternally grateful for the ability to be “wowed” on a continual basis when I see works of art/artists I’ve never seen before! This may just be the art historian nerd in me, but ...

Curator's Corner

National Hot Tea Month: Japanese Tea Bowls

Monday, January 21, 2013 | Karl Cole

I am sure most of you did not know that January is also National Hot Tea Month. Although the tea served in this bowl was most often cold by the time it was consumed, I feel that it is a beautiful trib ...

Curator's Corner

A Great Tradition Endures: Shoko Koike

Monday, March 5, 2012 | Karl Cole

As I’ve written before, ceramic arts in Japan are among the oldest on Earth, dating back to the Jomon Culture (dates to ca. 11000 BCE, flourished ca. 3000 – 200 BCE). The reason I bring up ...

Curator's Corner

Yakimono: Sugiura Yasuyoshi

Thursday, August 4, 2011 | Karl Cole

Yakimono in Japanese refers to a “fired thing.” A reverence for nature has historically been part of Japanese art since ancient times. Interestingly, the evocation of the respect for natur ...

Curator's Corner

Today = Tradition: Michikawa Shōzō

Monday, April 25, 2011 | Karl Cole

I’m able to trace my mother’s side of the family back to the Middle Ages in Switzerland, hence (love using that word whenever I can), I’m totally appreciative of tradition. As you kn ...

Curator's Corner

The Japan-North Carolina Connection: Hiroshi Sueyoshi

Monday, November 2, 2009 | Karl Cole

Ceramic traditions vary greatly around the world. In some cultures, the material is considered all-important, while in other cultures, the form or shape is the emphasis. Techniques for production of c ...

Curator's Corner

World's Oldest Ceramic Vessels: Jōmon

Monday, December 8, 2008 | Karl Cole

Most people think of ancient Greek painted ceramic vessels when you mention the word “ancient pottery.” What I think of are the sophisticated, elegant, and beautiful ceramic vessels of one ...

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Japanese ceramics

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Gem of the Month: Seto Ware

International Pomegranate Month: Lu Zonggui and Keiko Mori

Art for National Peach Month 2024

Gem of the Month: Kyoko Tokumaru

Gems of the Month: Contemporary Japanese Tea Bowls

A Young Wheat Plant for Spring: Hamada Shōji

Respect for History: Kako Katsumi

Layered Magnificence: Miyashita Zenji

National Hot Tea Month: Japanese Tea Bowls

A Great Tradition Endures: Shoko Koike

Yakimono: Sugiura Yasuyoshi

Today = Tradition: Michikawa Shōzō

The Japan-North Carolina Connection: Hiroshi Sueyoshi

World's Oldest Ceramic Vessels: Jōmon

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