Kenzan-style ewer with design of plum blossoms

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    late 19th century
  • Geography

    Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan
  • Material

    Buff clay; cobalt and iron pigments under transparent glaze, enamels over glaze; wooden handle, metal staples
  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 18.1 x 18.7 x 18.7 cm (7 1/8 x 7 3/8 x 7 3/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1900.30a-c
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1900.30a-c

Object Details

  • Artist

    Imitation of Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743)
    Kyoto workshop
  • Description

    Ewer (mizutsugi), large, semi-ovoidal. Pottery cover.
    Wood handle. Repaired with lacquer and metal clamps.
    Clay: stoneware, fine, hard, buff.
    Glaze: upper body: transparent glaze over white slip, crackled.
    Overglaze enamels of red and green. Lower body: green enamel, crackled.
    Decoration: in cobalt and iron pigments under the clear glaze; red and green enamels; blue glaze.
    Signature. Three seals. Inscription.
  • Signatures

    Signature
  • Marks

    Three seals
  • Inscriptions

    Inscription
  • Provenance

    To 1900
    Yamanaka & Company, to 1900 [1]
    From 1900 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1900 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 75, 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

    The Potter's Brush: The Kenzan Style in Japanese Ceramics (December 9, 2001 to October 27, 2002)
    Boxed In: Japanese Ceramics and Their Storage Boxes (September 23, 1982 to February 17, 1983)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. 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 National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring