青木木米筆 山中喫茶図扇面|Preparing Tea by a Mountain Gorge

Aoki Mokubei

1825 · Folding fan mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

The preparation or drinking of sencha (Chinese-style steeped tea) was a frequent subject of Chinese literati painters. Here Aoki Mokubei depicted a man and his servant in a mountain setting preparing sencha tea over a ceramic stove. The division of the composition into two distinct areas, as though painted on opposite sides of a large bowl, reminds us that the artist learned to paint while working primarily as a potter. Mokubei also established himself as a painter in the Nanga (Literati school) style. He grew up in the Gion district of Kyoto, where his family owned a restaurant and brothel. Mokubei began making pottery under the guidance of Okuda Eisen (1753–1811), and he was soon celebrated for his copies of Chinese ceramics. Together with Eisen and Nin’ami Dōhachi (1783–1855), he is credited with reviving the ceramics traditions of Kyoto.

Artist

Aoki Mokubei

Date

1825

Medium

Folding fan mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015