Incense box or seal ink container with design of crane and chrysanthemums for the tenth month

Object Details

• Artist

  Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743)

  Narutaki workshop (active 1699-1712)

• Description

  Incense box, flat, of irregular outline. Cover.

  Clay: buff stoneware, fine-grained.

  Glaze: transparent.

  Decoration: underglaze iron and cobalt, overglaze red, green and gold. Crane and chrysanthemums.

• Signatures

  Kenzan

• Inscriptions

  Signature: Kenzan

• Label

  With its design of crane and chrysanthemums, this shallow box is a miniature painting made to adorn the desk or reception room of a wealthy patron. The ground design simulates the decorated paper favored for painting or calligraphy, but using a potter's materials-gold enamel (gold power mixed with borax and animal-hide glue) and cobalt-blue pigment. The sumptuous streaked decoration continues on the inside of the box.

• Provenance

  Ikeda Seisuke (1839-1900), Kyoto [1]

  To 1900

  Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), Boston, to 1900 [2]

  From 1900 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunkio Matsuki in 1900 [3]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Remark 6, an Envelope File note, H.E. Buckman, 1964, in the object record, which states: "Formerly in Ikeda collection." See also, Curatorial Remark 1 and Curatorial Remark 7, L.A. Cort, March 1992, in the object record.

  [2] See Original Pottery List, L. 769, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] 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

  Tea Ceramics after Koetsu (June 27, 2015 to January 3, 2016)

  Bold and Beautiful: Rinpa in Japanese Art (June 28, 2015 to January 3, 2016)

  The Arts of Japan (July 14, 2012 to January 13, 2013)

  Seasons: Arts of Japan (February 5, 2011 to January 13, 2013)

  Moonlight and Clouds: Silver and Gold in the Arts of Japan (November 11, 2008 to November 11, 2009)

  Gold: The Asian Touch (September 10, 2005 to February 20, 2006)

  The Potter's Brush: The Kenzan Style in Japanese Ceramics (December 9, 2001 to October 27, 2002)

  Telling Tales in Japanese Art (November 23, 1996 to August 14, 1997)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Ikeda Seisuke (1839-1900)

  Bunkio Matsuki 松木文恭 (1867-1940) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Container

• 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.

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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, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Matsuki, Bunkio, Ikeda, Seisuke

• Place

  Kyoto, Japan, Kyoto prefecture

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Incense, Japanese Art, Ceramics, Crane

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Containers