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Subject:Japanese BW Covered Bowl in Hirado Style
Posted By: Bill H Thu, Jul 27, 2017 IP: 2601:342:80:4e1c:18a
I'm trying to get a better fix on who made this bowl and when. Google queries have turned up nothing similar to its combination of form, decoration and markings, though the form turned up when I did a search for Nabeshima wares (although the pieces were shown only in thumbnails and no confirmation of who made them was forthcoming).
The bowl is 3 3/8 inches high, 4 1/2 inches high with lid and 5 1/4 inches in diameter. It is in good condition except for a shallow flake off the inner edge of the upper rim. There's no damage to the cover.
The hand-painted decoration is stylistically similar to some I've seen on Hirado wares in the "Children Playing" pattern, except this motif is "Scholars in a Bamboo Grove", drawn with the same cartoonish flair. I looked through the Lawrence book on Hirado and didn't see anything similar in this form.
The mark on the knop and inside the foot rim is "Fuki Choshun", "meaning "Riches, Honors and Everlasting Youth". This is borrowed from Chinese porcelain as "Fu, Gui, Chang Chun", with the same meaning, and was used to embellish Japanese wares from the late Edo and Meiji periods and possibly afterward.
In addition to the two written marks, the bowl has an odd circular ring of glazed slip on its inside wall. I consider it possibly to be intended as another marking, perhaps "Enso", the circle associated with Zen. If it was accidental, I don't believe it would have come out of the kiln so perfectly round.
I have a ways to go with my research but will be thankful for anyone's assistance with a jump-start.
Best regards,
Bill H.
Link :Hirado Style Japanese Bowl
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