Sauce pot with design of spring grasses

Small squat sauce pot with flat lid, decor of ferns executed in cobalt and iron on white slip in “Kenzan” style. Fine-grained, buff-gray clay. Lid, base, and spout thrown and trimmed on the potter’s wheel. Pieces luted together. White-slip patch applied to median and section of lid. Painting in underglaze iron and cobalt. Overall application of transparent stoneware glaze; base in reserve. High-temperature firing. Possibly Banko ware?
“Kenzan” signature in underglaze iron on base.

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Maker(s)
Artist: Kyoto workshop, Kenzan style
Historical period(s)
Showa era, 20th century
Medium
Stoneware clay with white slip, cobalt and iron pigments under transparent glaze
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. John Alexander Pope
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Study Collection
Accession Number
FSC-P-2243a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Sauce pot

Keywords
grass, Japan, Showa era (1926 - 1989), stoneware
Provenance

To 1982
John A. Pope (1906-1982), Washington, DC [1]

From 1982 to 1986
Mrs. John A. Pope, Washington, DC, ownership transferred to Mrs. Pope after the death of her husband, John A. Pope. [2]

From 1986
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Mrs. John A. Pope, Washington DC [3]

Notes:

[1] See Study Collection catalogue card, Collections Management Office. See also Curatorial Remark 3 in the object record.

[2] See note 1.

[3] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dr. John Alexander Pope 1906-1982
Annemarie Henle Pope 1907-2001

Description

Small squat sauce pot with flat lid, decor of ferns executed in cobalt and iron on white slip in "Kenzan" style. Fine-grained, buff-gray clay. Lid, base, and spout thrown and trimmed on the potter's wheel. Pieces luted together. White-slip patch applied to median and section of lid. Painting in underglaze iron and cobalt. Overall application of transparent stoneware glaze; base in reserve. High-temperature firing. Possibly Banko ware?
"Kenzan" signature in underglaze iron on base.

Published References
  • Richard L. Wilson. The Potter's Brush: The Kenzan Style in Japanese Ceramics. Exh. cat. Washington. cat. 71, p. 155.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Whistler's Neighborhood
Google Cultural Institute
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