Jar

Object Details

• Artist

  Fujiwara Kei 藤原啓 (1899-1983)

• Description

  Wheel-thrown jar with broad, flat base, rounded walls, conical inverted neck, flat, thick, everted rim. Body possibly stretched at end of forming process by throwing from inside only, without compressing outside surface: this created the open texture of the upper body.

  Bizen stoneware clay, dense, dark brown, containing numerous small stones. Exposed surface of clay on lower vessel wall burned to glossy reddish-purple sheen. S-shaped drying crack in base.

  No applied glaze. Dusting of wood ash deposited during firing on upper edge of rim and upper surface of body, appearing ochre-brown.

  No decoration.

  Artist's mark incised on base.

• Marks

  Artist's mark incised on base.

• Inscriptions

  The jar is contained in a paulownia wood box inscribed and signed by the artist. The inscription on the top of the lid reads: (upper right) Bizen no tsubo [Bizen jar]; (lower left) Kei [square red seal: Kei].

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Reinventing the Wheel: Japanese Ceramics 1930 - 2000 (July 23, 2011 - June 30, 2013)

• Origin

  Imbe, Okayama prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Sanae and Douglas Reeves

• 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

  1960s, 1950s

• Name

  Fujiwara, Kei

• Place

  Imbe, Japan, Okayama prefecture

• Topic

  Art, Showa era (1926 - 1989), Bizen ware, Stoneware, Japanese Art

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)