Live Auction 9555Asobi: Ingenious Creativity Japanese Works of Art from Antiquity to Contemporary And Ceramics from the Collection of Bernard Leach
A Nabeshima Dish
Lot 50 The Nabeshima porcelains were not made for export; indeed, they were not made for trade. They seem to run against the usual taste of late seventeenth and early eighteenth century Japan. Their production is faultless, their decoration exquisite, and is decidedly not Genroku in spirit. Probably made for the use of the Lords of the Nabeshima clan, either as noble gifts or possibly for actual use, they seem more to seek the Chinese ideal of perfection than the Japanese ideal of strength alone. The technique of decoration uses an underglaze blue outline, almost never used in the Imari or Kakiemon, to enclose the clear enamel colours. The designs are careful and uncluttered, and may involve naturalistic birds and flowers or entirely abstract pattern-making; it is rare for both to occur on the same piece.

A Nabeshima Dish

EDO PERIOD (LATE 17TH CENTURY)

Closed15 October 2013

Price Realised

GBP 18,750

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A Nabeshima Dish
Edo period (late 17th century)
Decorated in underglaze blue with geometric karahana design around the dish, the rim with celadon glaze, the reverse with single shippo-musubi motifs, the ring foot with comb design
14.7cm. diam.