Review: Brighter than Gold - A Japanese Ceramic Tradition Formed by Foreign Aesthetics - Page 2

Yet the buyer didn't need to know that the jolly looking man with a belly wasn't the Japanese Santa Claus but Daikoku, the god of luck, to appreciate this ceramic piece. Daikoku shares his space with some other gods and goddesses in one corner of the exhibition. A few of the urns are the size of a small child including one that displays a scene from an unidentified battle. Another has had an intricate pattern cut out, a particularly hazardous feat since this also threatens the structural integrity of the clay. The exhibit also includes some unusual pieces such as the Meiji period panel.

In time, when it became clear that the export market was profitable, more kilns opened up and not all of them were in Satsuma. Some were outside of Kyushu. On display are pieces from these kilns, including the famous one in Kyoto, Kinkozan. According to Engle, this particular kiln produced Satsuma style ware during the Meiji period (1868-1912). Still some of the other pieces from other kilns such as the covered urns would be highly attractive to collectors.

So what defines Satsuma ware if not the place it is made? According to Engle, Satsuma ware are "painted with designs that attract the viewer. Many of the pieces are over the top, so busy and so detailed. This was because the kilns needed to outshine each other." The use of the gold isn't unique to Satsuma ware either. Price and value are determined by the kiln and sometimes the actual ceramicist although Engle says individual potters didn't sign their work until the 19th century. How elaborate a design is or how rare a design or form is also effects the price. Japanese themselves didn't begin to value Satsuma ware until about 50 years ago.

Unlike Japanese swords that can be easily faked, with some signed by famous makers who pre-date the actual sword or some swords are actually make in China, Satsuma ware is not usually faked because of the time and effort the excessive detail would require.

Article Author: Purple Tigress

Former theater critic for the LA Weekly and Los Angeles Times . For the last five years, an editing slave at a dot-com but recently laid off. Currently an under-employed freelance writer and artist.

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