Dish with unfinished enamel decoration

Dish, large, plate shape, unfinished. Four spur marks on base. Chip underside of rim.
Clay: white porcelain.
Glaze: clear porcelain glaze, some minute pitting due to surface breaking of bubbles. Some wear abrasions. Foot-rim unglazed.
Decoration: painted in underglaze cobalt blue in unfinished “Chelsea pattern” of bird, trees, rocks and plants. The intended overglaze enamels had not yet been applied to the blank design areas. Outside: insects and plants on rocks, two units. Ring on base, approximately 1.75 cm. from foot.

Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1670-1700
Medium
Porcelain with cobalt pigment under clear colorless glaze
Style
Arita ware, Kakiemon type
Dimensions
H x W: 4.6 x 31.7 cm (1 13/16 x 12 1/2 in)
Geography
Japan, Saga prefecture, Arita
Credit Line
Anonymous gift in memory of Dr. Harold P. Stern
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1978.9
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish

Keywords
Arita ware, bird, cobalt pigment, Edo period (1615 - 1868), insect, Japan, porcelain
Provenance

To 1977
Private collection, McLean, Virginia. [1]

From 1977
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of a private collector, McLean, Virginia. [2]

Notes:

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

[2] The object was donated to the Freer Study Collection in 1977 and was transferred to the Permanent Collection on March 3, 1978. See original copy of statement dated November 28, 1977, and letter dated Dec 5, 1977, copies in the object file, Collections Management Office. See also note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Mr. and Mrs. Province Henry

Description

Dish, large, plate shape, unfinished. Four spur marks on base. Chip underside of rim.
Clay: white porcelain.
Glaze: clear porcelain glaze, some minute pitting due to surface breaking of bubbles. Some wear abrasions. Foot-rim unglazed.
Decoration: painted in underglaze cobalt blue in unfinished "Chelsea pattern" of bird, trees, rocks and plants. The intended overglaze enamels had not yet been applied to the blank design areas. Outside: insects and plants on rocks, two units. Ring on base, approximately 1.75 cm. from foot.

Label

This dish was decorated using underglaze cobalt with the blue components of the characteristic design, with the intention that enamel pigments would be used to complete the motifs.  For an unknown reason, the final decoration was never carried out.

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