Collection
Cylindrical Vase with “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove” Design
| Cylindrical Vase with “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove” Design |
| Kotō ware; height 41.0 cm, mouth diameter 18.0 cm; Edo period, 19th century; Gift of the Ii Family |
The vase depicts seven Chinese intellectuals who lived during a turbulent period in the third century and retreated to a bamboo grove to engage in free and witty conversation away from worldly affairs. The image of sages dwelling apart from the mundane world was idealized by later generations and was a favored theme not only in Chinese but also Japanese painting. On this vase, gosu pigment forms a vivid blue on the thick white porcelain, and flowing brushstrokes are used to paint the figures of the seven sages, the overlapping petal motif, and the cloud patterns. The Kotō kiln produced many blue-and-white works.
