永樂保全筆 「陶造」|Making Ceramics
first half of the19th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 47 1/2 x 16 7/8 in. (120.7 x 42.9 cm) Overall with mounting: 67 3/8 x 21 3/4 in. (171.1 x 55.2 cm) Overall with knobs: 67 3/8 x 23 3/4 in. (171.1 x 60.3 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1918
Accession Number
18.77.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Making Ceramics* (永樂保全筆陶造」), a captivating hanging scroll by Japanese artist Eiraku Ho from the first half of the 19 century. Crafted in ink and color on paper, this Edo-period (1615–1868) work measures an impressive 47½ x 16⅞ inches, designed to unfurl gracefully for intimate viewing. It vividly captures the labor-intensive process of pottery production, showcasing men at work—kneading clay, shaping vessels, and firing kilns—in a scene that pulses with everyday vitality. Hanging scrolls like this were prized in Japan for their portability and ritual display during tea ceremonies or s...
About the Artist
Eiraku Hozen · 1795–1854
Eiraku Hozen (1795–1854) was a celebrated Japanese ceramic artist and the sixteenth-generation head of the Nishimura family, a Kyoto dynasty of potters whose work was closely associated with the tastes of the imperial court and the refined aesthetic culture of the ancient capital. Operating under the artistic name Eiraku — a name that would become synonymous with a particular style of elegant, tec...