Water Pot with Chinese Figures in a Landscape Design
Unknown Artist
late 18th century
Medium
Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration (Hirado ware)
Dimensions
H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm); L. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 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
23.225.86a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite water pot, crafted in late 18th-century Japan during Edo period (16151868), showcases the refined artistry of Hirado ware porcelain. Measuring a modest 5½ inches high, its pristine white body is adorned with underglaze decoration depicting Chinese figures strolling through a lush landscape of stylized trees. The deep cobalt pigment, applied beneath the glaze before firing, creates enduring, vibrant motifs that mimic the elegance of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, a hallmark of Hirado kilns on Hirado Island. Hirado ware flourished in this era of peace and prosperity, when Japa...