Hanging vase in the shape of a fan

Hanging flower vase in the shape of a fan. Broken and repaired. Metal ring on back.
Clay: medium stoneware fired reddish brown.
Glaze: thick gray with fine crackle.
Decoration: white slip spots under glaze.

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Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1650-1800
Medium
Stoneware with white slip inlaid under clear glaze
Style
Yatsushiro ware
Dimensions
H x W: 32.6 x 18.9 cm (12 13/16 x 7 7/16 in)
Geography
Japan, Kumamoto prefecture
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1901.67
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Vase

Keywords
Edo period (1615 - 1868), fan, flower, Japan, stoneware, Yatsushiro ware
Provenance

To 1901
Siegfried Bing (1838-1905), Paris to 1901 [1]

From 1901 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Siegfried Bing, Paris in 1901

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 946, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Siegfried Bing (C.L. Freer source) 1838-1905
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

Hanging flower vase in the shape of a fan. Broken and repaired. Metal ring on back.
Clay: medium stoneware fired reddish brown.
Glaze: thick gray with fine crackle.
Decoration: white slip spots under glaze.

Label

The potter skillfully used clay to replicate the appearance of a fan made of heavy paper decorated with squares of gold leaf and mounted on wooden ribs. Performers in a No drama would have carried such a paper fan. During the Edo period (1615-1868), warrior rulers (daimyo) sponsored professional No troupes within their domains and also studied No chanting and dancing as a pastime. This fan-shaped vase was made at the Yatsushiro kilns, which operated in the domain of a daimyo in western Japan. It would have hung in a place of honor: the display alcove of a reception room in the daimyo residence.

Published References
  • Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. vol. 10, pl. 157.
  • Louise Allison Cort. Korean Influences in Japanese Ceramics. vol. 15, no. 5 Hong Kong, May 1984. p. 25.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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