Deep Cylindrical Vessel (Fukabachi)

Makers of the Jōmon period built vessels by joining coils of clay, one layer at a time—among the earliest methods of shaping clay, alongside the pinching technique. This ancient process continues to be used today. Jōmon pots seem to embody movement and primordial energy. Their asymmetrical forms evoke the flow of water, the movement of wind, or the flicker of flame. Decorated with abstract, geometric patterns, their dynamic surfaces convey rhythm and vitality. Remarkably, long before modern sculptors, these prehistoric potters were exploring the relationship between form and surrounding space. Only with the avant-garde of the twentieth century did artists again recognize space itself as an integral sculptural element.