Jomon Pottery12,000- 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.