Contemporary Japanese ceramics are currently highly prized, avidly collected, and frequently exhibited. UMMA became actively engaged with the medium in the 1960s, and thanks to astute acquisitions made with the help of John Stephenson, Catherine B. Heller Professor Emeritus, School of Art and Design, the Museum has a priceless selection of ceramics dating from the 1930s through 1970s by leading figures and “living national treasures” such as Hamada Shôji, Kawai Kanjirô, and Yagi Kazuo. The collection of approximately 50 works offers a focused look at the Japanese studio pottery movement at a moment of exceptional creativity and lasting influence.