Transcript Jomon Pottery

Jomon Pottery
12,000- BCE – 300 BCE
Jomon History
• Jomon is the longest and first recorded culture
in Japan.
• These first inhabitants of Japan arrived during
the most recent ice age by foot.
– At the time, Japan was connected to mainland
Asia.
Jomon History
• The Jomon period began during Paleolithic
Age and went into the Neolithic Age.
– Paleolithic – nomadic hunting society
– Neolithic – sedentary society
• The Jomon began as a hunting and gathering
society. The development of the vessel is a
sign the society became more sedentary.
• Why would this be?
Jomon Culture
• Interesting facts:
• The Jomon people developed ceramic technology
before agricultural technology, which is different from
other sedentary cultures.
• As the climate became warmer, the Jomon people had
more access to food and the sea level began to rise.
Construction
Like all other Neolithic cultures,
women were responsible for the
construction of these vessels.
All Jomon pots were hand built
because the potter’s wheel did
not yet exist.
Construction
Their clay was held together
by adhesive materials such as,
mica, lead, fibers, and
crushed shells.
How does their clay compare
to the clay we use in this
room?
Firing
When bone dry, these
vessels were piled into
open fire pits.
The temperature of these
open fire pits reached no
more than 900 C (1652 F)
What temperature do we
usually fire our kilns at?
Purpose
• Jomon pottery was functional rather
than decorative.
What do these words mean?
Functional – designed to be useful rather than attractive
Decorative - to make something more attractive or
ornamental.
Purpose
Why are these vessels considered
functional?
What was their function?
The Jomon used these vessels
for cooking, storage, and bone
burial.
Why did they also make these vessels so decorative? What
does that say about these early people?
Construction
The word “Jomon” means
“cord (jo) marking (mon)” in
Japanese.
By the middle Jomon period, the
composition of the vessels
became more abstract,
asymmetrical, and detailed.
How would you describe the
lines created by the rope-like clay
construction?
Construction
The line vocabulary that may
be used to describe these pots
includes:
•Ovals
•Scrolls
•Hatching
•Parallel lines
•Zigzags
•lozenges
•Triangles
•Scallops
•Curved lines
Our Jomon Inspired Project
• Project will be made
by a hand building
technique called
coiling.
• Coiling – Long rolls of
moist clay.
Requirements
• Coil pots must
be at least 6
inches tall.
• There must be
evidence of line
variation.
• Coils may not be
smoothed
together.