Bowl
Unknown Artist
1840
Medium
Porcelain decorated in red and gold (Hizen ware, Kutani type)
Dimensions
H. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); Diam. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. V. Everit Macy, 1923
Accession Number
23.225.199
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant porcelain bowl, crafted around 1840 during Japan's Edo period (1615–8), exemplifies the refined ceramics tradition of Hizen ware in the Kutani style. Produced in the Hizen province (modern-day Saga Prefecture), Hizen porcelain, particularly from Arita kilns, was renowned for its high-quality white bodies and vibrant overglaze enamels. Kutani type brought bold reds and golds to life through meticulous application of mineral-based pigments fired at lower temperatures, creating durable, jewel-like decorations that captured the opulence of late Edo aesthetics. Measuring just 3⅝ inche...