Collection
Bowl with Phoenix Design
| Bowl with Phoenix Design |
| Kotō ware; height 4.6 cm, mouth diameter 23.0 cm; Edo period, 19th century; Gift of the Ii Family |
The makers of Kotō ware sought to improve their technique by inviting artisans from Arita (in present-day Saga Prefecture) and other pottery centers. This work, with a design of phoenixes dancing in auspicious clouds surrounded by a fine wood-grain border on the rim, is a copy of an Old Kutani (Ko-Kutani) dish thought to have been produced in Kutani (in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture) during the early Edo period, painted in the aode style that features flamboyantly colored (mainly green) designs. Deftly capturing the characteristics of Kutani ware, the piece illustrates how the Kotō artisans acquired their techniques.
