Modern Japanese Ceramics: Pathways of Innovation & Tradition [While Supply Lasts]

by Anneliese Cruger, Wulf Crueger, Saeko Itô

Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: Lark Books (2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1-60059-119-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-60059-119-8
Dimensions: 9.5" x 6.6" x 0.9"
Shipping Weight: 1.93 lbs.

Over the past 30 years, Anneliese and Wulf Crueger—guided by their teacher Saeko Itô—have traveled extensively throughout Japan to study and collect indigenous ceramics. Now the Cruegers share their expert knowledge and remarkable acquisitions in this profusely illustrated volume.

There are few cultures in which ancient traditions and modern innovations exist side by side as they do in present-day Japan. This characteristic is reflected in the country's contemporary stoneware and porcelain. In the more than 100 pottery centers still in existence today, one style is never wholly given up when something new has been created.

As the Cruegers became increasingly interested in the ceramics, they made annual journeys from Okinawa to Hokkaidô to visit local pottery kilns, which in Japan can refer to a single workshop or to hundreds of workshops or manufacturers in one region. This stunning guide is the culmination of their research, along with Itô's own work. It outlines the development, production techniques, and unique style characteristics of typical artifacts from the leading kilns. Pieces from the Cruegers' expansive collection are featured in stunning color photographs.

Organized geographically, Modern Japanese Ceramics is also an outstanding travel guide. It contains information on pottery museums and individual kilns, provides travel notes, and includes a detailed glossary.