Looking at porcelain from the early to mid 17th. century from Europe and Asia it is easy to think the level of technical
craft in Japan was far behind the Europeans or other Asian countries. There is a primitive quality to the early and
mid 16th. Century pieces out of the Arita kilns that on first glance suggests a lack of knowledge. A closer look at the
Japanese esthetic shows something far different going on. Far from a lack of technical knowledge it is the Japanese
esthetic that is so different.
The level of abstractness in Japanese blue and white antique porcelain is impressive. The older the piece the more
abstract they seem to get.
The oldest work from the porcelain producing area of Japan, called Hizen until around 1867, show the greatest level
of abstractness in the picture quality. It is notable that ware from this early period, called Shoki Imari,1 , was
produced for the domestic Japanese market. As export trade developed the type and style of under glaze painting
changed to suit the tastes of the European market.
The ware made for the Japanese market embraces and really personifies the slippery qualities of Wabi Sabi,2. The
notion of Wabi Sabi is critical to understand when looking at anything Japanese, the earliest Shoki Imari no
exception. The best definition I have come across is “That which is enough”. Not too much, but enough to suggest
the point. This notion permeates Japan, the Japanese, and certainly the art in Japan. Not too much. A suggestion. A
suggestion that is insufficient isn’t going to cut it. I think that is the magic. Enough clues but bits left out so as to let
the viewer finish the story.
It is important to explore the concept of Wabi Sabi a little more to understand the bias towards having a high level of
non-representation.
Wabi Sabi can be broken into its two component parts. Wabi, in a greatly simplified definition, means a work’s
inward, subjective qualities. A way of thinking, the spiritual aspect of something. Sabi, again greatly simplified, deals
with an objects outward aspects, a more quantifiable angle to understanding something, the secular if you will. This
breaking down of the term should in no way suggest the concept Wabi Sabi is easily broken apart and analyzed.
Wabi Sabi permeates Japanese cultural. It is an appreciation of things incomplete, imperfect, modest, humble and
unconventional. An example that can be seen almost anywhere is in Japanese houses. The outside walls are often
sided with wood. The wood is left completely untreated, no paint or varnish. As the years progress and nature does
her thing the wood ages in a way that is considered extremely beautiful in the Japanese esthetic.
The pictures come largely from Shoki Imari from the early to mid 16th. century. They were made for the domestic
market. Looking at export bound work from the same period shows that the technical know how was there. Highly
sought after today by collectors it is rare to see pieces of this quality come to market. When they do they are very
expensive.
One can only imagine the worry of the Dutch East Indies company, having had their porcelain supply disrupted by
civil wars in China, realizing they would have to deal with the makers of this type of ware to supply the tastes of the
European market. The Japanese adapted and changed the designs to fit the order, there by setting the stage for
the porcelain ware that would come out of the Arita, Kutani and other kilns in the following years.
Notes.
1
Sho=beginning, ki=period, Imari is the port name where most of the porcelain was shipped
2
Wabi Sabi is a very difficult concept to define. If asking a Japanese person the answer is almost invariably “That is a
difficult one”. My small definition is in no way complete. It is just a simple starting point to illustrate my point.
craft in Japan was far behind the Europeans or other Asian countries. There is a primitive quality to the early and
mid 16th. Century pieces out of the Arita kilns that on first glance suggests a lack of knowledge. A closer look at the
Japanese esthetic shows something far different going on. Far from a lack of technical knowledge it is the Japanese
esthetic that is so different.
The level of abstractness in Japanese blue and white antique porcelain is impressive. The older the piece the more
abstract they seem to get.
The oldest work from the porcelain producing area of Japan, called Hizen until around 1867, show the greatest level
of abstractness in the picture quality. It is notable that ware from this early period, called Shoki Imari,1 , was
produced for the domestic Japanese market. As export trade developed the type and style of under glaze painting
changed to suit the tastes of the European market.
The ware made for the Japanese market embraces and really personifies the slippery qualities of Wabi Sabi,2. The
notion of Wabi Sabi is critical to understand when looking at anything Japanese, the earliest Shoki Imari no
exception. The best definition I have come across is “That which is enough”. Not too much, but enough to suggest
the point. This notion permeates Japan, the Japanese, and certainly the art in Japan. Not too much. A suggestion. A
suggestion that is insufficient isn’t going to cut it. I think that is the magic. Enough clues but bits left out so as to let
the viewer finish the story.
It is important to explore the concept of Wabi Sabi a little more to understand the bias towards having a high level of
non-representation.
Wabi Sabi can be broken into its two component parts. Wabi, in a greatly simplified definition, means a work’s
inward, subjective qualities. A way of thinking, the spiritual aspect of something. Sabi, again greatly simplified, deals
with an objects outward aspects, a more quantifiable angle to understanding something, the secular if you will. This
breaking down of the term should in no way suggest the concept Wabi Sabi is easily broken apart and analyzed.
Wabi Sabi permeates Japanese cultural. It is an appreciation of things incomplete, imperfect, modest, humble and
unconventional. An example that can be seen almost anywhere is in Japanese houses. The outside walls are often
sided with wood. The wood is left completely untreated, no paint or varnish. As the years progress and nature does
her thing the wood ages in a way that is considered extremely beautiful in the Japanese esthetic.
The pictures come largely from Shoki Imari from the early to mid 16th. century. They were made for the domestic
market. Looking at export bound work from the same period shows that the technical know how was there. Highly
sought after today by collectors it is rare to see pieces of this quality come to market. When they do they are very
expensive.
One can only imagine the worry of the Dutch East Indies company, having had their porcelain supply disrupted by
civil wars in China, realizing they would have to deal with the makers of this type of ware to supply the tastes of the
European market. The Japanese adapted and changed the designs to fit the order, there by setting the stage for
the porcelain ware that would come out of the Arita, Kutani and other kilns in the following years.
Notes.
1
Sho=beginning, ki=period, Imari is the port name where most of the porcelain was shipped
2
Wabi Sabi is a very difficult concept to define. If asking a Japanese person the answer is almost invariably “That is a
difficult one”. My small definition is in no way complete. It is just a simple starting point to illustrate my point.
