Decorative Objects
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Covered Bowl Japan, Saga Prefecture Edo period (1600-1868), about 1670�1690 Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze enamels (Arita ware, Kakiemon style) H. 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm) including cover; Diam. 12 in. (30.5 cm) Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.234a, b |
This colorful and painterly bowl with a cover is a typical Kakiemon-style piece. Warm milky white glaze, called nigoshide, coats the bowl and cover. On the body and the lid, lovely garden scenes are depicted: pairs of birds perch on gnarled rocks surrounded by chrysanthemums, hibiscus, and other floral motifs. The bands near the foot and top are decorated with brocade-like floral arabesques, and a lion-dog sitting on top of the lid functions as the knob. As this piece demonstrates, blues, greens, yellows, and reds dominate the Kakiemon style ware palette.
