Kutani ware bottle with design of asters, chrysanthemums, peonies, wisteria and quail

Bottle with trumpet-shaped mouth, bulbous body, and trimmed foot, decorated with design of asters, chrysanthemums, peonies, wisteria and quail.

Clay: Porcelain; footrim darkened on surface by use.

Glaze: Over colorless glaze, red and gold enamels applied to neck and rim and purple, brown, gold, red and black enamels applied to body. Factory mark in red overglaze enamel on base. Unglazed footrim.

Decoration: A gold cloud pattern against a red enamel ground decorates the lip and neck. The rim is outlined in gold enamel. The red on the neck and around the bottom of the bottle just above the base serve as a framework for the body decoration which features asters, chrysanthemums, peonies and wisteria. Two standing and two flying quail, their brown bodies highlighted with gold and black pigments, are placed in the middle of the flora. The white band at the base of the vase suggests a footring.

Mark: Kutani, in red enamel on base.

Historical period(s)
Meiji era, late 19th century
Medium
Porcelain with red, gold, purple, brown and black enamel pigments over colorless glaze
Style
Kutani ware
Dimensions
H x W x D: 15.5 x 8.3 x 8.3 cm (6 1/8 x 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 in)
Geography
Japan, Ishikawa prefecture, Kanazawa
Credit Line
Bequest of Isabel S. Kurtz
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1991.21
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bottle

Keywords
aster, chrysanthemum, cloud, Japan, Kutani ware, Meiji era (1868 - 1912), porcelain, wisteria
Provenance

To ?
Charles M. Kurtz (1855-1909). [1]

To 1991
Isabel S. Kurtz (1901-1991). [2]

From 1991
Freer Gallery of Art, bequest of Isabel S. Kurtz (1901-1991). [3]

Notes:

[1] Ms. Isabel Kurtz bequeathed the group of Asian ceramics, F1991.19-.44, to the Freer Gallery of Art. These objects had been collected by her father, Charles M. Kurtz, who was a friend of Charles Freer.

[2] See note 1. Also see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

[3] See note 2.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles M. Kurtz 1855-1909
Isabel S. Kurtz 1901-1991

Description

Bottle with trumpet-shaped mouth, bulbous body, and trimmed foot, decorated with design of asters, chrysanthemums, peonies, wisteria and quail.

Clay: Porcelain; footrim darkened on surface by use.

Glaze: Over colorless glaze, red and gold enamels applied to neck and rim and purple, brown, gold, red and black enamels applied to body. Factory mark in red overglaze enamel on base. Unglazed footrim.

Decoration: A gold cloud pattern against a red enamel ground decorates the lip and neck. The rim is outlined in gold enamel. The red on the neck and around the bottom of the bottle just above the base serve as a framework for the body decoration which features asters, chrysanthemums, peonies and wisteria. Two standing and two flying quail, their brown bodies highlighted with gold and black pigments, are placed in the middle of the flora. The white band at the base of the vase suggests a footring.

Mark: Kutani, in red enamel on base.

Inscription(s)

"Kutani" mark in red overglaze enamel.

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