染付色絵囃子唐子形置物|Chinese child with musical instrument
Unknown Artist
late 18th century
Medium
Porcelain with underglaze blue and iron decoration (Hirado ware)
Dimensions
H. 1 5/16 in. (3.3 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
23.225.57
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming porcelain figurine, titled *染付色絵囃子唐子形置物* (Chinese Child with Musical Instrument), captures a joyful child musician from Japan's Edo period (1615–8), likely late 18th century. just 1 5/16 inches (3.3 cm) tall, it exemplifies Hirado ware, a renowned Japanese porcelain tradition from the Hirado kilns in Nagasaki Prefecture. The piece features intricate underglaze blue (sometsuke) for outlines and motifs, enhanced by iron-based decoration for vibrant color accents, creating a lively polychrome effect on a crisp white body. Hirado ware gained fame for its delicate miniature sculpture...