Jomon WareJomon WareCeramics IICeramics II

20102010

Why Create Art?Why Create Art?

Different people and cultures create art Different people and cultures create art for different reasons……for different reasons……

Practical (functional)-Greek Practical (functional)-Greek civilization used pottery to store civilization used pottery to store harvested food and water inharvested food and water in

Personal-Artists make work for no Personal-Artists make work for no specific functionspecific function

Cultural-Egyptian made canopic jars Cultural-Egyptian made canopic jars hold organs of the deadhold organs of the dead

Jomon PeopleJomon People Pre-literate Japanese culturePre-literate Japanese culture First to settle in Japan’s outlying First to settle in Japan’s outlying

islandsislands 9000 to 300 BCE 9000 to 300 BCE Oldest known form of potteryOldest known form of pottery Made the most powerful and Made the most powerful and

dynamic examples of coil work that dynamic examples of coil work that exist.exist.

Above and Beyond…Above and Beyond…

This culture made functional pottery This culture made functional pottery beyond anything required in a beyond anything required in a simple object for practical use.simple object for practical use.

A special societyA special society

Its distinctive style came from a Its distinctive style came from a hunting and gathering society. hunting and gathering society.

Historically, storage vessels were Historically, storage vessels were not produced until people settled not produced until people settled into the agrarian way of life and into the agrarian way of life and relied upon tilling the soil for relied upon tilling the soil for planting and harvesting crops.planting and harvesting crops.

Who are the artists?Who are the artists?

"Often vessels were decorated with "Often vessels were decorated with patterns made by pressing cord onto patterns made by pressing cord onto the damp clay (jomon means "cord the damp clay (jomon means "cord markings").markings").

Jomon usually crafted their vessels Jomon usually crafted their vessels by building them up with coils of by building them up with coils of clayclay

They fired them in bonfires at They fired them in bonfires at relatively low temperatures.relatively low temperatures.

It is thought that Jomon pottery was It is thought that Jomon pottery was made by women, as was the practice made by women, as was the practice in most early societies, especially in most early societies, especially before the use of the potter's wheel. before the use of the potter's wheel.

Other early Jomon pots have pointed Other early Jomon pots have pointed bottoms. bottoms.

Notice burn marks along the sidesNotice burn marks along the sides It is thought they must have been planted It is thought they must have been planted

firmly into soft earth or sand, then used for firmly into soft earth or sand, then used for cookingcooking

Other early vessels were crafted with Other early vessels were crafted with straight sides and flat bottoms, a shape straight sides and flat bottoms, a shape that was useful for storage as well as that was useful for storage as well as cooking and eventually became the norm.cooking and eventually became the norm.

Early Jomon

Late Jomon

Dogu figurine

Middle Jomon

It is thought that this group of It is thought that this group of people were able to develop such people were able to develop such elaborate pottery because of the elaborate pottery because of the relative peacefulness of the islands.relative peacefulness of the islands.

There was lush vegetation, plenty of There was lush vegetation, plenty of fish, and no invaders due to the fish, and no invaders due to the water surrounding the islands.water surrounding the islands.

They were free to enjoy the luxury of They were free to enjoy the luxury of making these artistic objectsmaking these artistic objects