A Late 17th Century Kakiemon Porcelain Bowl
A Late 17th Century Kakiemon Porcelain Bowl, Kakiemon Kilns, c.1670 – 1690. The Kakiemon enamelled design is of, Sho-Chiku-Bai, the ‘Three Friends of Winter’ : Pine, Prunus and Bamboo. The symbols of perseverance and strength : The pine tree doesn’t lose its needles, even in the coldest winter, and lives through countless winters. Prunus (cherry family) is the first to flower, heralding the arrival of spring, even if the weather is wintery. The bamboo is evergreen, its strong stems stay upright against heavy winds and snow. This flower shaped shallow Kakiemon bowl is decorated in under-glaze cobalt blue, the two concentric lines to the well, and a line below the brown enamel following the foliate upright rim. The reverse is entirely in under-glaze cobalt blue an consists of Karakusa scrolls. The rim on the top, is dressed with iron rich brown enamel, referred to as Fuchibeni.
See Below For More Photographs and Information.
SALE PENDING
- Condition
- In very good condition, minor rubbing, minute frits to the brown enamel rim.
- Size
- 14.2 cm (5.6 inches). Depth 4.3 cm (1.7 inches)
- Provenance
- N/A
- Stock number
- 2 6 5 6 8
- References
- For a very similar Kakiemon bowl in the Shibata collection see : Complete Catalogue of Shibata Collection (Contributors Saga Kenritsu Kyūshū Tōji Bunkakan. Published by the Kyushu Ceramic Museum, 2019) page 217, plate 1721.
Photos
Information
Kakiemon Porcelain
While there is much debate about what was actually made at the Kakiemon kilns, and was made at Arita, it seems clear that the Nigoshide body was exclusively used at Kakiemon. There has been allot of Japanese research undertaken at the Kakiemon kilns, and fragments of porcelain as well as moulds have been recovered from the kiln sites, unfortunately I have only found this information in Japanese books (in Japanese). Nigoshide refers to a fine milky-white porcelain body that glows with a warm tint, in Japan it is said to be reminiscent of rice-water. While white porcelain usually sports a blue tint, Nigoshide porcelain has a soft milky-white appearance. Nigoshide was invented in the 1670s as the perfect porcelain body for complimenting the brilliant polychrome overglaze enamel colours created at Kakiemon. It is notable that the Kakiemon enamel decorated pieces with underglaze blue do not use the Nigoshide body, yet fragments of this type have been recovered from the Kakiemon kiln sits. The main period of production of Kakiemon Nigoshide ware was from about 1670 to 1690. Due to lack of the right materials and economic cutbacks, Nigoshide porcelain went out of production by the mid-18th century, however there was a notable decline in production from around 1690.
Kakiemon decoration is usually of high quality, often delicate and with well-balanced asymmetric designs. The designs were normally quite sparse emphasizing the. Kakiemon porcelain was decorated with a great variety of imaginative designs which include elements such as the `banded hedge`, `flying squirrel`, and the `Quail and Millet` design in the West. The `Three Friends of Winter` were also a very popular group of designs, other subject taken from nature include flowers (especially the chrysanthemum, the national flower of Japan) as well as birds and rock-work. Figural subjects such as the so-called `Hob in the Well` were also popular. This design illustrates a Chinese folk tale where a sage saves his friend who has fallen into a large fish-bowl by throwing stones at it, breaking open the pot. Banded-Hedges were a formal device within Japanese traditional gardens, they were often incorporated in designs, includes `The Three Friends of Winter` (Pine, Bamboo and Prunus). These three plants signify perseverance, as neither the pine nor the bamboo shed their leaves in winter and the plumb (Prunus) flowers at the very end of the winter, heralding the arrival of spring.
A 17th Century Kakiemon Porcelain Three Friends of Winter Bowl.
Robert McPherson Antiques - Sold Archive - 27027
See Below For More Photographs and Information.
SOLD
Condition
There is a flake shaped chip to the inner rim, above a red prunus flower head, see the two close up photographs in the Photograph Gallery below. The chip is approximately 4 x 4 mm.
Size
Diameter 13.7 cm (5 1/2 inches). Depth 4.9 cm (2 inches).
Stock number
27027
17th Century Japanese Porcelain Kakiemon Bowls.
Robert McPherson Antiques Sold Archive.
