Bowl with design of Mt. Fuji

Object Details

• Artist

  Miyagawa Kozan (1842-1916)

• Description

  Bowl with design of Mount Fuji. Wide-mouthed vessel with thin, everted rim and globular body resting on base with raised foot trimmed to create footring.

  Clay: Porcelain; unglazed footrim darkened on surface by use.

  Glaze: Purple and grey pigments under colorless glaze; white and grey overglaze enamels over glaze; colorless glaze applied to interior and foot. Unglazed footrim.

  Decoration: The white clear-glazed lip and footring frame the central Mount Fuji design. Mount Fuji's snowy peaks and slopes are outlined and highlighted with white enamel pigment; the rocky earth of its base is suggested by grey enamel pigment.

  Mark: Dainippon / Kozan sei, in cobalt on base; paper label "14/T."

• Inscriptions

  Potter's mark on base: "Dainippon Kozan sei" in cobalt; paper labels: "14/T", "M.I.(?)"

• Label

  This bowl uses thin washes of matter black pigment alone and beneath translucent lavender-pink glaze to create the effect of an ink painting. Thick lines of white enamel outline the snowy peak. Miyagawa Kozan, born in Kyoto, moved to Yokohama in 1870 to produce for the flourishing export ceramic market. He consistently won prizes in major international expositions.

• Provenance

  To ?

  Charles M. Kurtz (1855-1909). [1]

  To 1991

  Isabel S. Kurtz (1901-1991). [2]

  From 1991

  Freer Gallery of Art, bequest of Isabel S. Kurtz (1901-1991). [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Ms. Isabel Kurtz bequeathed the group of Asian ceramics, F1991.19-.44, to the Freer Gallery of Art.

  These objects had been collected by her father, Charles M. Kurtz, who was a friend of Charles Freer.

  [2] See note 1. Also see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

  [3] See note 2.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Japanese Art of the Meiji Era (September 20, 1997 to April 26, 1998)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Charles M. Kurtz (1855-1909)

  Isabel S. Kurtz (1901-1991)

• Origin

  Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Bequest of Isabel S. Kurtz

• 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.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s, 1890s

• Name

  Kurtz, Isabel S., Kurtz, Charles M.

• Place

  Japan, Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture

• Topic

  Porcelain, Art, Mount Fuji, Japanese Art, Ceramics, Meiji era (1868 - 1912)

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)