“YAKISHIME: Earth Metamorphosis”: 900-year-old Japanese pottery tradition presented in Armenia

On June 19, the History Museum of Armenia hosted an exclusive exhibition dedicated to Japanese culture, titled “YAKISHIME: Earth Metamorphosis.” The Japan Foundation’s traveling temporary exhibition was organized in cooperation with the History Museum of Armenia and the Embassy of Japan in Armenia, with the aim of introducing one of the most important traditions of Japanese pottery art to the Armenian public.

The exhibition opened with an official ceremony attended by David Poghosyan, Director of the History Museum of Armenia, Alfred Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, and Aoki Yutaka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Armenia.

The exhibition presents the history and development of Yakishime ceramics from its origins to the present day. Visitors have the opportunity to get acquainted with Japanese aesthetics through tea ceremony accessories, tableware and modern ceramic works, as well as the cultural traditions underlying their design.

Director of the History Museum of Armenia David Poghosyan highlighted the significance of the initiative, emphasizing that this is the first Japanese exhibition presented at the museum.

“Today, we are very happy to announce a very important initiative at the History Museum of Armenia, thanks to which the first Japanese exhibition is presented here. Within the framework of the “YAKISHIME: Earthly Metamorphoses” exhibition, more than 60 ceramic samples made using traditional Japanese techniques have been transported to Armenia for the first time,” he noted.

According to Poghosyan, the exhibition is structured around several thematic sections. The first tells about the origin of Yakishime, the second presents its traditional and applied significance, and the third is Yakishime as an independent art form. The museum director also emphasized that the presentation of Japanese pottery at the History Museum of Armenia creates an interesting opportunity for the comparative study of pottery traditions of different cultures.

A special documentary film will also be shown within the framework of the exhibition, the texts of which translated into Armenian will allow visitors to get to know Japanese culture and art in more depth.

David Poghosyan also thanked the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Armenia Aoki Yutaka, whose initiative made the organization of the exhibition possible.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Culture of the Republic of Armenia Alfred Kocharyan, in his turn, noted that interest in Japanese culture has been growing in Armenia recently.

“Recently, I am very happy because we see numerous events related to Japanese culture, and this definitely means that Japanese culture is in demand in Armenia. I think we should encourage our museums and partners to implement more such initiatives not only in Armenia, but also in Japan, where Armenian culture can also be interesting to the public,” said the Deputy Minister, assuring that the Ministry will support such cultural collaborations.

During the opening of the exhibition, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Armenia Aoki Yutaka also made a speech, noting that the “YAKISHIME: Earth Metamorphosis” exhibition is being implemented within the framework of the Japan Foundation’s art and cultural exchange program.

“After registering great success in many countries around the world, we are pleased to present this exhibition in Armenia for the first time. Yakishime pottery originated around the 12th century. The word Yakishime literally means “fired and hardened” in Japanese, since during firing, the clay becomes dense and firmly fused,” the Ambassador noted.

According to him, the ceramics presented at the exhibition are not just household items, but an important part of the cultural heritage formed over the centuries and passed down from generation to generation.

“On this occasion, we are happy to present ceramics in Armenia, which has a history of about 900 years,” emphasized Aoki Yutaka.

The “YAKISHIME: Earth Metamorphosis” exhibition was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, and the Japan Foundation.

The exhibition will be open at the History Museum of Armenia until July 10, providing visitors with the opportunity to discover the centuries-old traditions of Japanese ceramics and their reflection in contemporary art.

Syune Arakelyan