三代高橋道八作　色絵桜楓文大鉢|Large Bowl with Cherry Blossoms and Maple Leaves

Takahashi Dōhachi III

first half of the 19th century · Stoneware with underglaze iron, white slip, and polychrome overglaze enamels (Kyoto ware) · Asian Art

The combination of cherry blossoms and colorful maple leaves on this large bowl revive the style of Kyoto’s famous ceramic artist Ogata Kenzan (1663–1743). The vivid composition is based on a poem about the Tatsuta River, from the waka anthology Kokin Wakashū (ca. 905). The poet describes fallen autumn foliage drifting on the water’s surface as if it were gold brocade, and cherry blossoms in the Yoshino hills that put him in mind of white snowflakes. The patterns evoke both symbolic images of spring and autumn, as well as two famous sites (meisho) in Japan.

Artist

Takahashi Dōhachi III

Date

first half of the 19th century

Medium

Stoneware with underglaze iron, white slip, and polychrome overglaze enamels (Kyoto ware)

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2019