Place of production or style

Nabeshima Domain kiln, Hizen

Number of components

1

Format and materials

Porcelain

Dimensions (in cm)

D. (rim) 29.3, D. (stand) 19.9, H. 7.6

Date of production

Edo period   End of the 17th century - early 18th century   1690s-1700s

Nabeshima, Japan's finest quality porcelain, was fired in the Edo period at the Nabeshima Domain kiln, the official kiln of the Saga Domain. Most of its output consisted of small and large dishes for presentation to the Tokugawa shogun. This dish is a shakuzara, a round piece about 30 centimeters in diameter. A stylized pine tree motif winds around the rim; it is drawn so boldly that it extends beyond the interior. The pine needles are depicted in dense circular clusters, with each needle carefully expressed using the sumihajiki resist technique; fine lines of sumi ink were drawn before the blue underglaze was applied; in firing, the ink, and the underglaze on it, disappear, leaving the white porcelain exposed. The exterior has a magnolia design depicted with care in the broken branch style. The janome foot (circular, with a glazed interior) has three external feet in the shape of leaves attached.