Tenmoku-shape tea bowl

Object Details

• Artist

  Style of Yabu Meizan (1853-1934)

• Description

  Temmoku-shape tea bowl with overglaze enamel decoration. Shape of 11-12th c. Chinese Northern ware iron-glazed tea bowl (ref. Valenstein, Handbook, 50): incurving rim, unusually thick walls designed as effective shape for decoration.

  Clay: fine-grained cream-colored Satsuma body.

  Glaze: clear glaze with medium crackle.

  Decoration: exterior: wisteria trellis; interior: landscape in style of 17-18th c. Qing court painting. Gold borders outside rim and on footrim. Exterior design closely related to style of Kyoto cloisonne artist Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927).

• Provenance

  From 1884 to 1885

  Major General Julius Stahel, acquired in 1884 [1]

  From 1885

  Mrs. Simon Wolf, Washington, DC, given by Major General Julius Stahel in 1885 [2]

  From about 1970 to 1983

  Col. Harold Chase, Jr., Arlington, VA, by descent, from about 1970 [3]

  From 1983

  Freer Gallery of Art, given by Col. Harold and Mrs. Beverly Chase, Jr. in 1983

  Notes:

  [1] According to a July 23, 1984 letter from Col. Chase (see letter in the object file), Major General Julius Stahel was appointed U.S. consul at Yokohama, Japan, and consul-general at Shanghai, China, in 1884 and served one year in those posts (see Curatorial Note 7 in the object record).

  [2] According to a July 23, 1984 letter from Col. Chase (see Curatorial Note 7 in the object record).

  [3] Mrs. Simon Wolf was step great-grandmother to Col. Harold Chase, Jr. (see Curatorial Note 7 in the object record).

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

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

• Previous custodian or owner

  Colonel and Mrs. Harold Beverly Chase, Jr.

• Origin

  Kyoto or Yokohama, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Colonel and Mrs. Harold Beverly Chase, Jr.

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1880s

• Name

  Chase, Jr., Harold Beverly

• Place

  Kyoto, Japan, Yokohama

• Topic

  Tea, Landscapes, Art, Japanese Art, Ceramics, Wisteria, Meiji era (1868 - 1912)

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)