Skip to main content
  1. Visit
  2. Events
Full Calendar
Thu, Apr 2, 2026 12:00pm–1:30pm

CJS Noon Lecture Series with UMMA Curator Natsu Oyobe: James Marshall Plumer’s Collecting Journey in War-torn Japan

Hamada Shōji, Bowl with tenmoku glaze and floral roundels, c. 1948. Stoneware with tenmoku glaze with wax resist floral roundels. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund, 1964/1.81. Photography by Charles Edwards.
Thu, Apr 2, 2026
12:00pm–1:30pm
Weiser Hall

The Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) Noon Lecture Series presents this lecture by UMMA Curator Natsu Oyobe “James Marshall Plumer’s Collecting Journey in War-torn Japan: Mingei Pottery, Folk Deities, and Ainu Art “.

James Marshall Plumer (1899–1960) is remembered as a U-M professor and authority on East Asian ceramics, best known for identifying the kiln site of Jian (Tenmoku) ware in China. Between 1948 and 1949, Plumer served as Fine Arts Advisor to the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, traveling around Japan to assess the condition of cultural properties. During the trips, he collected Mingei (Folk Art Movement) pottery, images of folk deities, and Ainu objects, which later became part of the University of Michigan Museum of Art’s (UMMA) holdings. Drawing upon these objects and his personal diaries, this talk examines Plumer’s collecting journey and highlights his legacy as an advocate of Japanese art and influential cultural leader in the immediate postwar period.

Please note: This lecture will be held in person in room 1010, Weiser Hall, and virtually on Zoom. The in-person event is free, and no registration is required. The virtual component is also free and open to the public, but registration is required. Once you’ve registered, joining information will be sent to your email.

Headshot of Natsu Oyobe

More About
Natsu Oyobe

Natsu Oyobe, Ph.D., is curator of Asian art at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA). Specializing in modern and contemporary Japanese art, she has curated numerous art exhibitions, including Isamu Noguchi and Qi Baishi: Beijing 1930 (2013) and Clay as Soft Power: Shigaraki Ware in Postwar America and Japan (2022). She is also co-curating an exhibition about the artistic practices of Ainu women, which will open at UMMA at a later date.

SUPPORT

This lecture is presented by the Center for Japanese Studies and cosponsored by UMMA. For more information and to request accommodations please contact us at cjsevents@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.