Individual serving cup with design of pine-covered mountains and latticework fences

Object Details

• Description

  Buff clay. Underglaze iron painted decoration of pine-covered mountains and latticework fences, on alternating sides. Opaque white feldspathic glaze, unevenly applied; granular texture, running in drops. Three medium-sized round spur marks on round, recessed base inside foot. Character ichi (one) written in ink on base.

• Inscriptions

  Character ichi (one) written in ink on base. This is because the cup would have been made as one of a set of five or more, intended for use in serving the accompaniment to soup and rice on a diner's individual tray.

• Label

  Thick, pitted, and white, the glaze known as Shino, made with feldspar, was an unprecedented departure from earlier iron and ash glazes. It was developed by potters working at kilns with Mino province, the modern Gifu prefecture. Mino potters used Shino glaze on vessels made of pale, rough-textured clay. The soft, granular underfired glaze on this cup is typical of early Shino ware. By applying the light-colored glaze over designs painted with iron pigment or scratched into overall coating of iron slip (liquid clay), they created Japan's first pictorially decorated ceramics. Depending on the thickness of the glaze and conditions of firing, the iron might appear red, brown, gray, or even blue. A reddish "blush" sometimes developed on the vessel edges where the Shino glaze was thin.

  This individual serving cup was made as part of a set of tableware. Later, after the set was dispersed, a subsequent owner converted the single cup to use as an ornamental "alternative tea container" for display in the tea room by providing it with a hinged ivory lid.

• Provenance

  Ikeda Seisuke (1839-1900), Kyoto [1]

  To 1900

  Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), Boston, to 1900 [2]

  From 1900 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunkio Matsuki in 1900 [3]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

  [2] See Original Pottery List, L. 794, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] 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

  Japanese Ceramics from Seto and Mino (January 19, 1996 to August 5, 2001)

  The Glazed Ceramic Tradition of Mino and Seto Wares (April 26, 1985 to January 13, 1986)

  Japanese Ceramics (June 22, 1982 to September 27, 1982)

  Japanese Ceramics (July 15, 1980 to June 21, 1982)

  Japanese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to January 17, 1980)

  Japanese Art (July 1, 1974 to April 10, 1978)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Ikeda Seisuke (1839-1900)

  Bunkio Matsuki 松木文恭 (1867-1940) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Ogaya kiln group, Kani city, Gifu prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• 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

  1590s, 1600s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Matsuki, Bunkio, Ikeda, Seisuke

• Place

  Kani city, Japan, Gifu prefecture, Ogaya kiln group

• Topic

  Tea, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Momoyama period (1573 - 1615), Ivory, Stoneware, Japanese Art, Ceramics, Mino ware, Shino type

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)