Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Japanese Decorative Arts of the Meiji Period

A catalogue of the Ashmolean’s Japanese decorative arts from the Meiji period (1868-1912), by Oliver Impey and Joyce Seaman (published Oxford, 2005).

Japanese Decorative Arts of the Meiji Period 1868-1912 by Oliver Impey and Joyce Seaman

Publications online: 54 objects

Reference URL

Actions

Send e-mail

Contact us about this object

Send e-mail

Send to a friend

Baluster vase with cartouches depicting Mount Fuji, samurai, and chickens

  • Literature notes

    Squat baluster porcelain vase with moulded white body and three panels painted in underglaze copper red with chickens, temple buildings in a landscape with Mount Fuji and samurai with attendants beside a stream. Silver mounted rim. Signed with underglaze blue seal-mark on the base; Makusu gama Kōzan sei (made at the Makusu Kōzan kiln).

    The deeply moulded pattern resembles that on a vase, now in the Khalili Collection, that Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kōzan (1842-1916) exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. His family name was Miyagawa, but he is usually referred to by his art name, Makuzu. His kiln was at Ōta, in Yokohama, and such was his versatility that he was sometimes, in his lifetime, called 'The wizard of Ōta'. Kōzan was so eclectic in his choice of styles that it is difficult to date his work; the most successful dating system is based upon the shape and style of signature, for he seems to have changed the signature several times. The blue and white seal-style signatures are actually written, not stamped.
  • Details

    Associated place
    AsiaJapanHonshūKantōKanagawa prefectureYokohamaOta Makuzu kiln-site (place of creation)
    AsiaJapanHonshū Mount Fuji (subject)
    Date
    1890s
    Artist/maker
    Miyagawa Kōzan (1842 - 1916) (potter)
    Makuzu kiln (1871 - 1959) (potter)
    Material and technique
    porcelain, thrown, with moulded decoration, and underglaze painting in copper-red; silver mounts
    Dimensions
    23.5 cm (height)
    22 cm (diameter)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Purchased with the assistance of the Story Fund, 1996.
    Accession no.
    EA1996.132
  • Further reading

    Impey, Oliver, and Joyce Seaman, Japanese Decorative Arts of the Meiji Period 1868-1912, Ashmolean Handbooks (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2005), no. 4 on p. 16, p. 8, illus. pp. 16-17

Glossary (2)

porcelain, underglaze painting

  • porcelain

    Ceramic material composed of kaolin, quartz, and feldspar which is fired to a temperature of c.1350-1400⁰c. The resulting ceramic is vitreous, translucent, and white in colour.

  • underglaze painting

    Painting applied to ceramic material before a transparent, or monochrome or coloured glaze for Islamic objects, is applied. The technique was initially developed in China.

Location

    • Second floor | Room 36 | Japan

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • Japanese Decorative Arts of the Meiji Period 1868-1912 by Oliver Impey and Joyce Seaman

    Japanese Decorative Arts of the Meiji Period

    Squat baluster porcelain vase with moulded white body and three panels painted in underglaze copper red with chickens, temple buildings in a landscape with Mount Fuji and samurai with attendants beside a stream. Silver mounted rim. Signed with underglaze blue seal-mark on the base; Makusu gama Kōzan sei (made at the Makusu Kōzan kiln).

    The deeply moulded pattern resembles that on a vase, now in the Khalili Collection, that Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kōzan (1842-1916) exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. His family name was Miyagawa, but he is usually referred to by his art name, Makuzu. His kiln was at Ōta, in Yokohama, and such was his versatility that he was sometimes, in his lifetime, called 'The wizard of Ōta'. Kōzan was so eclectic in his choice of styles that it is difficult to date his work; the most successful dating system is based upon the shape and style of signature, for he seems to have changed the signature several times. The blue and white seal-style signatures are actually written, not stamped.
Notice

Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.

© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum