The Jeffrey Montgomery Collection is distinguished by its vast holdings of Japanese folk art—throughout more than forty years of collecting, Jeffrey Montgomery has gathered a stunning array of objects, from textiles to ceramics to religious and household items. In 2024, the Crow Museum of Asian Art of The University of Texas at Dallas acquired the entirety of the collection, which totals more than 1,000 objects and works of art.
The ceramics in the Montgomery Collection are especially valuable in helping viewers to understand the cultural impulses that formed the Mingei, or folk art, movement in twentieth-century Japan. Each vessel shown here was molded by regional styles and local motifs, creating a variety of forms through the mediums of clay, glaze, and fire.
Ceramics are one of the most ancient art forms. Some works shown here date to as early as the Jomon period (ca. 10,000–300 BCE); they appear alongside works by artists of the twentieth century. This vast temporal range allows for a comprehensive overview of artistic development in ceramics during a span of more than two thousand years.
As you view Ceramic Highlights from the Montgomery Collection, discover the individual techniques in glazing and firing showcased in the output of the Six Ancient Kilns and immerse yourself in the grace of line and form in works by celebrated Mingei artists.