Vase

Object Details

• Description

  White clay. Decoration of bands of incised geometric motifs from neck to below shoulder. Large square seal "Rakurakuen-sei" (product of Rakurakuen), in seal script, on base. Deep purple, lead-based enamel glaze. Thin purple glaze on base and inside neck. Traces of green lead glaze adhering to feet. Inside unglazed.

• Marks

  Large square seal "Rakurakuen-sei" (product of Rakurakuen), in seal script, inside square frame, on base.

• Provenance

  To 1898

  Yamanaka & Company, to 1898 [1]

  From 1898 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1898 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 74, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Japanese Ceramics from Seto and Mino (January 19, 1996 to August 5, 2001)

  Garden Potteries and Official Kilns: Clan-Sponsored Ceramics in the Edo Period (January 16, 1986 to November 3, 1986)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Rakurakuen kiln, Tokyo, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1840s, 1690s, 1680s, 1850s, 1860s, 1670s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  Rakurakuen kiln, Tokyo, Japan

• Topic

  Tea, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Rakurakuen ware, Ceramics

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)