FILTER RESULTS × Close
by Object Type (2)
Skip to Content
NEHMA logo
Showing 1 of 2

Print this page
Image of Bottle

Shoji Hamada

Japanese/American
(1894–1978)

Bottle
circa 1950's

Stoneware
10.25 x 7.25 x 6.25 in.
Gift of Richard A. Harrison
1984.1416

Few figures have sustained an artistic influence over American ceramics as long as the Japanese potter Shōji Hamada. A proponent of the mingei movement—a Japanese craft philosophy that placed value on the beauty found in utilitarian objects, relied upon local materials, and emphasized the creativity of the individual maker—Hamada and his close friend, the British potter Bernard Leach, were instrumental in bringing these ideas to the United States. Mingei and the philosophy of Zen Buddhism resonated deeply with American potters seeking to raise ceramics to the level of fine art and explore personal expression in their work.

Shōji Hamada was born in Kawasaki, Japan, and studied ceramics at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. After seeing an exhibition of Bernard Leach’s work in Tokyo, Hamada sought him out, and the two developed a close friendship. Hamada traveled to England with Leach, spending three formative years working with him at his pottery in St. Ives. Throughout their careers, Leach and Hamada revived traditional pottery production and were instrumental in spreading ideas of simplicity, beauty, and harmony in ceramics far beyond their homes.

Matthew Limb

Keywords
Click a term to view the records with the same keyword
This object has the following keywords:
botanical, leaf, plants

Exhibition List
This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Also found in
Click a portfolio name to view all the objects in that portfolio
This object is a member of the following portfolios:
Thumbnail image of Unearthed | The NEHMA Ceramics Collection & The Woman Behind It
Unearthed | The NEHMA Ceramics Collection & The Woman Behind It
Thumbnail image of Ceramics
Ceramics
Thumbnail image of Unearthed | 1950s and 1960s
Unearthed | 1950s and 1960s

Your current search criteria is: Keyword is "BA" and [Objects]Artist is "Shoji Hamada".





This site facilitates access to the art and artifact collections by providing digitally searchable records for thousands objects. The information on these pages is not definitive or comprehensive. We are regularly adding artworks and updating research online. We welcome your comments.