Fan-shaped plate
Place of OriginKyoto, Awata, Japan
Dateapprox. 1730-1780
PeriodEdo period (1615-1868)
MaterialsStoneware with enamels and gold over clear glaze
DimensionsH. 9 1/4 in x W. 15 in x D. 1 1/2 in, H. 23.5 cm x W. 38.1 cm x D. 3.8 cm
Credit LineThe Avery Brundage Collection
Object numberB62P17
DepartmentJapanese Art
ClassificationsCeramics
On View
Not on viewKyoto potters produced wares in imaginative and unusual forms like this fan-shaped plate. Covered in crackled ash glaze, these forms functioned as a blank canvas on which highly representational and sometimes poetic decorations could be painted with delicate brushwork. Depicted here is the theme of sho-chiku-bai, or the Three Friends of Winter: pine, bamboo, and plum. The combination of these three plants, traditional symbols of happiness and necessary ornaments in all celebratory occasions, became a popular decorative motif for Kyoto potters.
1750-1800
approx. 1868-1900
1700-1750
approx. 1690-1740
approx. 1690-1740
approx. 1670-1700