Arita ware dish from a set of ten

The dish was thrown on a potter’s kickwheel and then shaped over a bisque-fired clay mold. The footrim was then trimmed. The molded ten-lobed rim is edged with iron brown and coated with green (celadon) glaze, while the interior is painted in cobalt pigment with a design of iris blooming by a stream, under a colorless transparent glaze.

Overglaze enamels are used to outline the iris and wave pattern with gold and to render an auspicious design around the celadon rim of the crane and hairy-tailed tortoise (paired symbols of longevity) and pine and bamboo.

Historical period(s)
Edo period, ca. 1740-1750
Medium
Porcelain with cobalt pigment under clear glaze, enamels over celadon glaze
Style
Arita ware
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3.1 x 22.5 x 22.5 cm (1 1/4 x 8 7/8 x 8 7/8 in)
Geography
Japan, Saga prefecture, Arita, Higuchi or Kakiemon kiln, Nangawara
Credit Line
Gift of anonymous friends of Harold P. Stern
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1993.19.5
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish

Keywords
Arita ware, bamboo, crane, Edo period (1615 - 1868), green glaze, iris, Japan, porcelain, river, tortoise, water
Provenance

From 1950s – 1993
Private collection, purchased in Japan in the 1950s. [1]

From 1993
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of a private collector. [2]

Notes:

[1] According to the donor, object was purchased in Japan in the 1950s.

[2] See Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Mr. and Mrs. Province Henry

Description

The dish was thrown on a potter's kickwheel and then shaped over a bisque-fired clay mold. The footrim was then trimmed. The molded ten-lobed rim is edged with iron brown and coated with green (celadon) glaze, while the interior is painted in cobalt pigment with a design of iris blooming by a stream, under a colorless transparent glaze.

Overglaze enamels are used to outline the iris and wave pattern with gold and to render an auspicious design around the celadon rim of the crane and hairy-tailed tortoise (paired symbols of longevity) and pine and bamboo.

Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects