Vase

Inverted pyriform-shaped (pear-shaped) vase with narrow mouth, averted lip and thin rim characteristic of trumpet-shaped neck. Body tapers down to slightly flared stem with tapered foot trimmed to form footring.

Clay: Porcelain, chipped rim (repaired) and footrim slightly chipped and darkened on surface by use.

Glaze: Pink coloration appears on lip, neck, shoulders and body. Dark grey pigment appears on shoulders and sides of body. Glaze appears colorless elsewhere on body and on interior and foot. Unglazed footrim.

Decoration: The pink and grey hues on the lip, neck, shoulders and body provide the decoration of this vase. The dark grey emphasizes the vase’s curved shoulders and body. The small grey splotch at the base appears unintentional.

Signatures/Inscriptions: Two paper labels: “CMK 20” and “20/sideways 2/dot within a square”.

Historical period(s)
Meiji era, ca. 1893-1899
Medium
Porcelain with variegated clear, pink, and gray glaze
Dimensions
H x W x D: 18.4 x 8.3 x 8.3 cm (7 1/4 x 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
Bequest of Isabel S. Kurtz
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1991.31
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Vase

Keywords
Japan, Meiji era (1868 - 1912), porcelain
Provenance

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

To 1991
Isabel S. Kurtz (1901-1991), by gift or inheritance from her father, Charles M. Kurtz. [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. Also see Curatorial Remark 3 in the object record.

[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

Inverted pyriform-shaped (pear-shaped) vase with narrow mouth, averted lip and thin rim characteristic of trumpet-shaped neck. Body tapers down to slightly flared stem with tapered foot trimmed to form footring.

Clay: Porcelain, chipped rim (repaired) and footrim slightly chipped and darkened on surface by use.

Glaze: Pink coloration appears on lip, neck, shoulders and body. Dark grey pigment appears on shoulders and sides of body. Glaze appears colorless elsewhere on body and on interior and foot. Unglazed footrim.

Decoration: The pink and grey hues on the lip, neck, shoulders and body provide the decoration of this vase. The dark grey emphasizes the vase's curved shoulders and body. The small grey splotch at the base appears unintentional.

Signatures/Inscriptions: Two paper labels: "CMK 20" and "20/sideways 2/dot within a square".

Marking(s)

Two paper labels: "CMK 20" and "20/sideways 2/dot within a square".

Label

This vase was part of a collection formed by Charles M. Kurtz (1855-1909), during the period when he served as assistant art director for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and art director for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Centennial International Exposition in St. Louis. Kurtz's collecting focused on porcelain with highly colored glazed. Along with these pieces by prominent Japanese potters, Kurtz acquired vases of similar shapes and colors from American and European factories. Kurtz's collection, representative of a broad popular interest in Japanese art in the late nineteenth century, also reflects the growing internationalism in the decoration of ceramics resulting from rapid exchange of information and technology facilitated by the international fairs.

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