Know Your Asian Craft: Ceramics

Words by: Beverly Cheng & Tanya Singh


Asian aesthetics have become mainstream and it is common to see Buddha statues and batik cushions in many modern households. But there's much more to Asian decorative arts than meets the eye. In this series, we dive into different traditional crafts from Asia, examining their roots, histories and stories – along with how they continue to evolve and define design today.


KYAC Ceramics_01_Yarnnakarn

Ceramic pieces by Yarnnakarn Arts & Crafts Studio.


Ceramics are what first come to mind when thinking of Asian crafts. Almost all Asian ceramics we know today have their roots in China. In China the patronage of master potters and sophisticated imperial kilns date back millennia with every consecutive dynasty developing new styles and innovations to improve on ceramic production. China's products were traded with its territories across Asia and with its neighboring countries, then later internationally, spreading the artistry throughout the region.

Celadon is one of the earliest styles to have been developed and popularized across Asia. A type of earthenware that's fired with a translucent jadeite green or turquoise glaze, celadon has been around as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). The technique really took off in popularity hundreds of years later during the Northern Song Dynasty (950-1550 AD) with the development of Longquan pottery in Zhejiang which was prized for its delicately cracked glaze surface. Once believed to change color if poisonous food met the glazed surface, celadon quickly became the go-to dinnerware among the imperial court.

The Chinese influence of celadon also reached Thailand, where the ruling Sukhothai kingdom developed its own form of celadon that was greyish-white in color; and Korea, which developed a style known as Goryeo celadon during the 10th and 11th century Goryeo dynasty. The Korean signature style known as sangam featured engravings and carved motifs, which were carved into semi-dry clay creating relief designs. 


KYAC Ceramics_02_Latitude22N

Hand-carved motifs on Latitude 22N's Song celadon plates. Photo credit: Latitude 22N.


Celadon continues to be on trend even today, with modern potters making the pilgrimage to China to learn the intricacies of making authentic Song-style wares. Latitude 22N studied the art of celadon making for their Song collection dinnerware, enlisting a family of craftsmen to hand-carve florals and deer motifs that were popularized during the Song Dynasty to represent human's connection with nature.

While Chinese ceramicists sought perfection through uniformity in form, Japanese potters embraced a wabi sabi philosophy to design. They emphasized simplicity, humility and underlined the immediate experience through misshapen pottery with visible hand markings and uneven glazing. In the 15th century AD, Zen Buddhist tea master Murata Jukō established a new structure and protocol to traditional cha-no-yu tea ceremony, which are still followed today. His promotion of rustic, handmade products would help shape the development of Japanese wabi sabi style for future generations. 


KYAC Ceramics_03_Nozomi Fujii and Asahiyaki

Collection of vases by Nozomi Fujii and making process of ASAHIYAKI's teapot.


Shigaraki ware is a type of Japanese stoneware fired at high temperatures made in Shigaraki region, favored by tea masters for its uneven form and glaze. Using an archaic firing method whereby free air flows into the anagama cave kiln, a Japanese kiln that slowly burns wood evenly, the resulting vessel would have a mineral glaze surface that had a grainy splattered effect. The look is further emphasized by the application of the glaze, which is dribbled or sprayed onto the surface to achieve a more painterly effect. The focus on seeing the mark of the potter, including fingerprints and marks directly on the vessels, can still be seen on many contemporary works today. 


KYAC Ceramics_04_Kanjian

The Ceramic Tumbler Set and Ceramic Vase by KANJIAN.


Porcelain, interchangeably known as 'fine china', is a nod to the country from which the craft originated. Fragments of translucent, white porcelain have been found that date back to the 7th to 11th century AD Tang Dynasty. The rise of the imperial kiln and porcelain production center in Jingdezhen during the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century and further development of Ming Dynasty porcelain made the pieces a widely traded commodity. The thin, delicate and translucent forms were deemed priceless and popular in international trade, especially when they reached the West.

In Korea, Joseon baekja white porcelain was born, adapting local flora and fauna to their own designs produced during the Joseon period (1392-1910). The style flourished with the development of bunion royal kilns situated just outside of present-day Seoul. The all-white pottery adorned with simple earth hued painted details was prized for its simplicity and frugality that reflected Neo Confucian ideals. 


KYAC Ceramics_05_Yuanyue Yumo Ceramics Blue and White Landscape Porcelain Plate Painting by Gao Yisheng


Porcelain gained further international acclaim with the rise of Ming Dynasty (14th-17th Century AD) blue-and-white floral motifs. The cobalt blue pigment was chosen because it is one of the few that can withstand the high temperatures required to fire porcelain. The pigment was imported from Persia and used by Chinese artisans to hand paint floral motifs. Vases among other vessels were prized for their thinness and intricate patterns, and widely traded across Asia as well as to the West. Imitations and adaptations cropped up in Japan, Korea and Persia. By the 17th Century, blue-and-white porcelain ware had reached Europe. Dutch traders bringing back the delicate artworks, inspired the development of blue-and-white Delftware in Holland. Meanwhile, a growing interest in Chinese works of art in France and England, led to the rise of the Chinoiserie trend in homewards whereby European brands imitated Chinese aesthetics.

Blue-and-white ceramics continue to make a lasting mark on global ceramic styles. Created by Yuanyue Yumo Ceramics and painted by Gao Yisheng in his unique style, the Blue and White Landscape Porcelain Plate Painting showcases a landscape depicting delicate, natural forms in soft tones. Without the artist's dual mastery of painting techniques and blue and white ceramics, distilled into profound perceptions of the characteristics and structural interplay of light, mist, and mountains, it would be impossible to achieve such craftsmanship. Meanwhile, up and coming Chinese brand Liang Mu reinterprets the classic combination by applying a repetitive dabbing technique to create a delicate indigo dye effect for its tableware.