A Nabeshima Shakuzara [Large Dish]
Lot 109

A Nabeshima Shakuzara [Large Dish]

Edo period (late 17th-early 18th century)

Closed11 November 2015

Price Realised

GBP 27,500

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A Nabeshima Shakuzara [Large Dish]
Edo period (late 17th-early 18th century)
The circular dish on a high foot, decorated in underglaze blue with a landscape depicting an overhanging pine issuing from a rocky cliff before a waterfall above tempestuous waves, the reverse with three peony sprays, the ring foot with shippo design, the wood box with an attestation by Yasuda Kenji, the former director of the Japan Ceramic Society
33.5cm. diam.

Specialist note

On the reverse of the wood box cover, Yasuda Kenji attests as below:
A blue and white Nabeshima charger with a waterfall scenery made in Okawachi in Matsuura gun in Hizen province in 1722. It was beautifully crafted as a gift for the Tokugawa Shogunate or for a daimyo by combining the best techniques of skilful artists and potters, and is a magnificent piece of Japanese craft. The landscape and waterfall are painted in Kano School style showing wonderful composition and can be regarded as the very pinnacle of ceramic painting. Looking at the dynamic brushwork viewers could imagine that they were looking at a fine wall painting. The reverse design of peony and karakusa and the foot design of shippo are typical of Nabeshima ware. Accordingly I hereby attest that this dish is a rare work from the peak of Nabeshima ware.
- Yasuda Kenji, the director of Nihon Toji Kyokai [Japan Ceramic Society] and the head of Osaka toji bunka kenkyujo [Osaka ceramic cultural association]

Another similar example, formerly in the collection of W. J. Robinson, was sold in the Osaka Bijutsu Club on 27 October 1925.

For a similar example with waterfall and pine, see:
Imaizumi Motosuke, Nabeshima, vol. 21 of Toji taikei [A compendium of ceramics], (Tokyo, 1974), p.117, no. 80

For similar designs of the reverse, see:
Kyushu Ceramic Museum, Shogun-ke eno kenjo Nabeshima: Nihon jiki no saikoho [Nabeshima: porcelain for the Shogunate], (Saga, 2006), p.78, no.77 (an Important Cultural Property) and p.81, no. 78 (both in the MOA Museum of Art collection)
Nagatake Takeshi and Hayashiya Seizo eds., Sekai toji zenshu [Ceramic art of the world], vol. 8, Imari, Kakiemon, Nabeshima... (Tokyo, 1978), p. 219
Hayashiya Seizo, ed., Nabeshima, vol. 10 of Nihon no Toji [Japanese ceramics], (Tokyo, 1988), p. 142, no. 311