Water jug 1871 - 1899

Editor: This "Water Jug" is by Tō Kai Ko and it was crafted sometime between 1871 and 1899. It looks like it is made of earthenware and stoneware. What intrigues me the most is how tactile it seems, you can almost feel the texture just by looking at it. What's your perspective? Curator: This piece, rooted in the Meiji period, speaks volumes about Japan's shifting relationship with industrialization and its own cultural identity. The "drip" effect, almost like molten metal, challenges traditional notions of perfect craftsmanship. Don’t you think the way this earthenware and stoneware were treated pushes it from a simple water jug into a study of materiality and the process of making? Editor: I see what you mean. So it's less about the "water jug" aspect and more about what the materials themselves are saying? Curator: Precisely! Consider the labor involved in sourcing the clay, the firing process itself. How was this clay sourced, shaped and altered? Each step reveals the hands that shaped it, literally and figuratively embodying the era’s negotiation between artistry and production. Does that change how you see the “water jug”? Editor: Definitely. I hadn't considered the journey of the materials themselves. I was too focused on it as a functional object. It makes you appreciate how everyday objects can embody complex social and economic shifts. Curator: It’s about elevating the status of this object from mere craft to art, challenging us to reconsider the value we assign to labor and the materials themselves. Editor: Thank you for highlighting the interplay between materials, making and societal context! I'll certainly look at art with new eyes going forward!