初代眞葛香山作 昆虫たちの行列文水指|Freshwater Jar (Mizusashi) with Procession of Grasshoppers

Makuzu Kōzan I (Miyagawa Toranosuke)

ca. 1870–80s · Stoneware with polychrome overglaze enamels and gold; wood lid and ivory knob (Makuzu ware) · Asian Art

A star of the Moore ceramic collection, this freshwater jar features a whimsical composition with a procession of grasshoppers and a few wasps. The grasshoppers, carrying flowers as weapons or insignia, accompany an insect cage that echoes the palanquin of a high-ranking lady in a wedding procession or feudal lord’s procession. Inspired by paintings of the same subject, the theme must have appealed to Moore, who gravitated to anthropomorphic insects and animals. The Makuzu workshop exhibited a wide range of ceramics at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876.

Artist

Makuzu Kōzan I (Miyagawa Toranosuke)

Date

ca. 1870–80s

Medium

Stoneware with polychrome overglaze enamels and gold; wood lid and ivory knob (Makuzu ware)

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891