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

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• 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

  Art, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Incense, Japanese Art, Pottery, Crane, Meiji era (1868 - 1912), Raku ware

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Containers