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context: ceramics > early history
Arrival of Korean Potters
From the 5th Century, a lot of Koreans arrive. This may be the single most important change in the history of Japanese ceramics. Suddenly we see sophisticated work very like the Korean Silla ware. There is full use of the wheel. Perhaps most importantly, closed kilns are introduced, replacing the bonfires and open kilns of the past. This means higher temperatures and a less porous finish - genuine stoneware - meaning that they were waterproof. Formerly coats of lacquer were needed to achieve this.
The tunnel kiln introduced here is still in use, and it has some interesting effects. Ash and burning debris melt on the surface of the pots - this is termed ash-glaze, and is also created and manipulated deliberately by coating pots with wet wood ash before firing. Under the greater heat, air bubbles in the clay can explode, sometimes destroying pieces completely, more often leaving fragments stuck to other pots, or causing pockmarks. These two effects have played a very big part in Japanese ceramic aesthetics ever since.