Designed by fsc student and agb design fellow, riley karau

In our modern world, functionality and beauty often seem like opposing concepts, but the history of ceramic decoration suggests otherwise. Indeed, even today, when we make ceramic objects by shaping and firing clay, we continue to create a lasting record of our touch and our humanity. We make out of necessity — a pitcher from which to serve, a bowl from which to eat. We create as an expression of our world and ourselves — we decorate. As explored in this exhibition of ceramic works from the Museum’s permanent collection, some objects on view have survived for millennia and offer us a connection to peoples across time, both those who produced these works and those who used or displayed them. The works also link us to the history of visual culture, wherein artists use imagery — abstract, representational, or otherwise — to entice our eyes or even to tell stories. Whether by their texture carved into raw clay or their finely detailed enamel, the objects in this gallery have been crafted over thousands of years and five continents, and each one is an example of the human desire to decorate beyond functional considerations.