Square incense box with sculpted figure of crane, unknown Raku ware workshop

Object Details

• Artist

  False signature of Hon'ami Koetsu 本阿弥光悦 (1558-1637)

• Description

  Clay: soft, gray. Raku type.

  Glaze: gray with variations of yellowish, pinkish, and greenish tints. Reduced. Red Raku glaze.

  Decoration: seated crane in high relief. Underglaze iron marks on one edge to assist in aligning lid and base.

  Mark. "Koetsu" and cipher (kao) written on bottom of base with underglaze iron pigment.

• Provenance

  To 1905

  H. R. Yamamato, to 1905 [1]

  From 1905 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from H. R. Yamamoto in 1905 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1420, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [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

  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)

• Previous custodian or owner

  H. R. Yamamoto (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Kyoto or Tokyo, 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.

  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

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1900s, 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, Yamamoto, H. R.

• Place

  Kyoto, Tokyo, Japan

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Incense, Japanese Art, Pottery, Ceramics, Crane, Meiji era (1868 - 1912), Raku ware

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Containers