Past Exhibitions
- Celebratory Ceramics: Large Dishes Used for Banquets
- June 19, 2018 - September 2, 2018
Today it is a common sight at banquets to see large platters piled with food, but this practice was not always common in Japan. In ancient and medieval times, guests were usually served single portions in small dishes placed on individual lacquered trays or tray tables. The practice of serving large quantities on common serving dishes began in the 1500s and 1600s, during the Momoyama and Edo periods, when daimyo lords first began holding banquets for dozens if not hundreds of people at a time. The large platters they used later gained popularity among wealthy urbanites.
Just as Westerners hung ceramics on their walls, the Japanese sometimes used these large, imposing platters not only for food service but also for interior decoration, displaying them in entryways or alcoves. This small exhibition features outstanding examples of oversized ceramic dishes. How would these change the flavor of your banquet or interior scheme?
- Ceramics of Japan and East Asia
- Jane 19, 2018 - September 2, 2018
Ceramics are prized not only for their beauty but also for their function as dishes and other quotidian objects. East Asian ceramics have a particularly wide range of patterns, forms, colors, and applications. Depending on where they were made, they can incorporate vastly different materials and techniques, resulting in wares as diverse as earthenware or porcelain, with distinct characteristics deriving from the types of clay, the glazes, the décor, and the firing techniques employed. This gallery features a variety of ceramics from Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula, which exemplify the distinctive qualities and appeal of each kiln site.
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