Virtual Exhibition on Korean Potters Captured in 17th-Century Japan
On 7 June 2022, a new online ceramics exhibition was curated by the project "Aftermath of the East Asian War of 1592-1598" from the Department of Translation, Interpreting and East Asian Studies at UAB. "Stories of Clay: Discovering Choson Korean Potters in Tokugawa Japan" explores the experiences of various groups of Korean potters who were captured and taken to Japan following the devastating Imjin War of 1592-1598.
The potters and their families were among the many Koreans from the Choson dynasty brought to Japan by the armies of the Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Imjin War, which was the largest conflict in the world of the 16th century. There are few written records of these potters. Furthermore, their work has often been overshadowed by the significance of Chinese influences in the development of Japanese ceramics. Nevertheless, these Korean artisans established ceramic traditions that continue to this day.
Stories of Clay represents the curators’ original research, considered alongside the current grant, in a digital format designed to be accessible to both experts and non-specialists. Inspired by the format of a museum exhibition, each of the five “galleries” explores an aspect of the post-Imjin Japanese ceramic experience: the potters’ origins, their lives in Japan, the technology they brought, their adaptation to local conditions, and their stylistic influence. Pop-up glossary panels assist with specialised terminology, and endnotes provide insights into important research on each topic. The Resources page is also recommended, featuring talks by leading experts and downloadable worksheets for educators.
Focusing on the first half of the 17th century and examining both elite and everyday objects, this virtual exhibition and digital history project challenges the notion that tea wares were the most important production of Korean potters in Japan. It contributes to the historical reassessment of Korean influence on Japanese ceramics. The potters and their complex relationships with their Japanese captor-patrons also illuminate the regional consequences of the Imjin War, the largest conflict in the world of the 16th century.
ICREA Research Professor
Department of Translation, Interpreting and East Asian Studies
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona