The Snukal Ceramics Gallery displays an array of ceramics from Southeast and East Asia from the Neolithic period to the contemporary. The ceramics in this gallery are roughly arranged by region in a chronological way in order to demonstrate the technical and material developments in ceramic production from unglazed to glazed earthen ware, stoneware, and porcelain decorated with underglaze or overglaze pigments. The ceramics are grouped regionally for a better understanding of regional and cultural differences, influences and shared characteristics. Whereas the early examples from Neolithic China provide valuable information on how the earliest ceramics were made and what they were used for, the later examples from imperial China illustrate the sophisticated developments in techniques and decorations that attracted buyers in other parts of Asia as well as Europe. Examples from Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea demonstrate how other regions developed their own unique aesthetics and techniques, while adopting and adapting the earlier production systems from China.
Case 19 introduces different approaches to ceramic conservation and restoration involving missing fragments, repaired damage and glazes, along with some of the basic materials used in ceramic making.