Feb. 22-May 6
Bizen-ware, from the Bizen Province (part of present-day Okayama Prefecture) has long been admired for its primitive and simple style. Unglazed, it is characterized by yohen — the natural changes in appearance during firing. These include hidasuki (use of burning rice straw burn to produce red tarnish patterns), botamochi (use of refractory clay to make circular designs that look like rice cakes), goma (when kiln ash lands on the clay to create sesame seed-like flecks) and sangiri (patterns created on clay buried in the ash of the kiln floor).
This exhibition presents a wide selection of Bizen-ware, from ancient masterpieces that were valued by the masters of tea ceremony during the Momoyama Period (1573 to 1615) to works by contemporary artists.
Crafts Gallery, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; 1-1 Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Takebashi Stn. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ¥900. Closed Mon. 03-5777-8600; www.momat.go.jp
Ticket Giveaway: We have five pairs of tickets to "Bizen: From Earth and Fire, Exquisite Forms" at the Crafts Gallery, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, to give to readers. The art ticket giveaway is now online only. To apply, visit jtimes.jp/tickets. Deadline: Feb. 26.
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