Dish

Dish: low with curved sides, slightly everted rim, low narrow foot, four spur scars in glaze of base.
Clay: white porcelain of medium fine texture.
Glaze: clear, feldspathic, slight aquamarine tint (especially noticeable in border), slight orange-skin surface texture. Edge of foot-rim unglazed.
Decoration: painted in underglaze cobalt blue in outline and graded washes, and yellow, green and blue overglaze enamels and iron-red. Inside: center, peonies, rocks and one of a pair of phoenixes in underglaze blue, the other in colored enamels, the scene encircled by a double blue line. The border has a naturalistic treatment of bamboo, pine, prunus, chrysanthemums in colored enamels rising from a rocky ground line in underglaze blue. There is a double line at the lip. Outside: underglaze blue foliate scroll of typical Arita form, in four segments. There is a single and double blue line at the foot, a single blue line on base close to foot-rim.

On base, a six-character mark in underglaze blue.

Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1670-1700
Medium
Porcelain with cobalt pigment under clear, colorless glaze, enamels over glaze
Style
Arita ware, Kakiemon type
Dimensions
H x W: 3 x 21 cm (1 3/16 x 8 1/4 in)
Geography
Japan, Saga prefecture, Arita
Credit Line
Purchase — funds provided by the bequest of Edith Ehrman
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1976.14
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish

Keywords
Arita ware, Kakiemon type, cobalt pigment, Edo period (1615 - 1868), flower, Japan, phoenix, pine tree, porcelain, reign mark
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Dish: low with curved sides, slightly everted rim, low narrow foot, four spur scars in glaze of base.
Clay: white porcelain of medium fine texture.
Glaze: clear, feldspathic, slight aquamarine tint (especially noticeable in border), slight orange-skin surface texture. Edge of foot-rim unglazed.
Decoration: painted in underglaze cobalt blue in outline and graded washes, and yellow, green and blue overglaze enamels and iron-red. Inside: center, peonies, rocks and one of a pair of phoenixes in underglaze blue, the other in colored enamels, the scene encircled by a double blue line. The border has a naturalistic treatment of bamboo, pine, prunus, chrysanthemums in colored enamels rising from a rocky ground line in underglaze blue. There is a double line at the lip. Outside: underglaze blue foliate scroll of typical Arita form, in four segments. There is a single and double blue line at the foot, a single blue line on base close to foot-rim.

On base, a six-character mark in underglaze blue.

Marking(s)

On base, a six-character mark in underglaze blue imitating (in faulty characters) the Chinese nien hao, or reign mark, Ta Ming Ch'eng-hua nien chih (made in the Ch'eng-hua reign of Great Ming dynasty).

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