Square dish

Maker(s)
Artist: Hamada Shoji (1894-1978)
Historical period(s)
Showa era, ca. 1950
Medium
Stoneware with wood-ash and iron glazes
Dimensions
H x W x D: 5.6 x 19.5 x 20 cm (2 3/16 x 7 11/16 x 7 7/8 in)
Geography
Japan, Tochigi prefecture, Mashiko
Credit Line
Gift of Idamae Burati
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1989.31
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish

Keywords
Japan, Showa era (1926 - 1989), stoneware
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Hamada Shoji was a cofounder, with philosopher and critic Yanagi Soetsu (1889-1961) and potter Kawai Kanjiro, of the Japanese Folk Craft Movement. In 1926 they coined the term mingei to designate 'crafts of the common people,' which they admired for their strength and simplicity. In his own work Hamada took as his model the sturdy forms, local materials, and simple decorations of Japanese folk pottery. The checkerboard pattern of this molded dish was created by wax resist using two glazes from Mashiko, where Hamada resided after 1924. One is a clear glaze made from wood ash and limestone; the other is tinted brown with iron from ground volcanic stone.

Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Whistler's Neighborhood
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