Dish with molded design of parable of filial piety and inscribed poem

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
IIIF

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At A Glance

  • Period

    1760-1790
  • Geography

    Nangawara, Arita, Saga prefecture, Japan
  • Material

    Porcelain with cobalt pigment under clear colorless glaze, iron pigment on rim
  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 21 x 21 x 21 cm (8 1/4 x 8 1/4 x 8 1/4 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1985.15
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1985.15

Object Details

  • Description

    Eight-lobed dish
    Clay: porcelain.
    Glaze: transparent, slightly bluish. Four spur marks on base.
    Decoration: scene from the 14th example of filial piety--Yang Hsiang saving his father from the tiger--molded on the interior of the dish. Interspersed in the design, title and four-stanza poem written in underglaze cobalt. Underglaze cobalt dots circling inner edge of rim. Molded "rope" band just inside raised edge of rim, following lobed contour of rim. Rim edged in underglaze iron. On base, single ring of underglaze cobalt inside footrim, surrounding square-framed character fuku ^j^
    Mark: not marked.
  • Inscriptions

    1. (L.A. Cort, 1985) The poem inscribed on the plate reads:
    Yang Hsiang
    Deep in the mountains they meet the white browed [tiger]
    With all his might he battles the rank-smelling [beast]
    Father and son together escape harm
    He snatches the body from the mouth.
    He snatches the body from the mouth.
  • Provenance

    To 1985
    Mrs. Joe M. Blumberg, Bethesda, Maryland. [1]
    From 1985
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Mrs. Joe M. Blumberg, Bethesda, Maryland. [2]
    Notes:
    [1] See Deed of Gift, Collections Management Office.
    [2] See note 1.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Cornucopia: Ceramics of Southern Japan (December 19, 2009 to January 9, 2011)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Mrs. Joe M. Blumberg
  • Origin

    Nangawara, Arita, Saga prefecture, Japan
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mrs. Joe M. Blumberg
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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