Tea jar 1235 - 1255

Editor: Here we have a humble tea jar by Toshiro, dating from the Kamakura period, 1235-1255. The ceramic stoneware has this wonderfully crackled glaze and a rough, almost unfinished lower half. I find it surprisingly compelling. What strikes you when you look at this object? Curator: I immediately think of the intense labor that went into sourcing and preparing the materials for this jar. The clay, the glaze, the fuel for the kiln… these weren’t simply purchased from a store. They were extracted, refined, transported – all human effort that predates the final form. How might its physical creation, including the exploitation of resources, be considered part of its value or, perhaps, its cost? Editor: So you’re saying it’s not just about the aesthetic, but about acknowledging all the steps and the hands involved in getting the jar to this final state? Curator: Precisely. Consider also the socioeconomic context. Who had access to such wares? Was this jar intended for the imperial court, for wealthy merchants, or for a more modest consumer? What can the clay, and glazing process, reveal about networks of trade, or constraints on the artisans who crafted it? This particular firing technique implies control of specific resources and level of craft expertise that must be situated in a larger web of historical practices. Editor: That's interesting! It makes me reconsider my initial appreciation of it. Seeing the material process reframes its importance in my mind; it’s no longer just a beautiful, crackled object, but evidence of production and social status of a long-ago era. Curator: Exactly. And in doing so, it complicates simplistic notions of beauty by calling our attention to the realities of its creation, circulation, and ultimately, its consumption. Editor: I'll definitely be looking at art with a new appreciation for the making and the labor involved now.