Japanese Art in Ceramics

Pottery in Japan has been practised for more than 7,000 years. The pottery making in Japan developed different traditions and these are recognized by Japanese archaeologists. Every piece of pottery had its own form and decorative motifs. Vessels for serving and consumption of food were formed from the collection of deep jar-shaped cooking vessels.Cord-marking was the basic decorative element, it is produced by pressing cords that are made of plant fibres into the leather-hard surface before firing in the bonfire.In some areas of Japan the upper parts of the vessels are highly decorated. Abstract designs in pottery became very practised images were almost uncommon. Vessels were often made in very large amount, as one can see in the huge pottery dumps in the site of Sannai Maruyama. 
From about 5000 BC in the Japanese archipelago pottery was also used to create clay figurines, both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic. Certain conclusions were the focus of figurine produce and use. Over 1000 figurine pieces at Shakado have been renewed. These figurines were made so as to be easy to be break into their elemental body parts and complete figurines are almost never discovered. There are various figures some have a female body and others look more masculine, there are some that look unisex as well. these figurines which suggest elaborated headdress, facial tattooing, and decorative clothing, indicating that bodily adornments was important to many Jamon societies. Some have bloated stomachs, and are thought to have played an important role in productivity rites. 
Body symbolism is more exposed through the proof for tooth filling from skulls scraped at sites such as Tsukumo and Yoshigo. Masks made of pottery often suggesting recognizable character traits; this is known from number of sites in the Japanese archipelago. Large amount of ear ornaments have been found at other sites.

Onians, J.O., 2004. The Art Atlas. 1st ed. Great Britain: Laurence King Publishing.