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 Bowl with Floral
Design
(Japan, Kyoho era,
1716-36 )
Nabeshima ware, porcelain
with underglaze blue
Diameter: 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm)
Gift of the 1997
Collectors Committee, AC1997.32.1
Sometsuke (blue-and-white
ware) is one of the specialties of the legendary Nabeshima
kilns. In this spectacular example, flowers decorate both the
inside and outside of the bowl, while a Seven Treasures (shippo)
design wraps around a tall foot. Inside the bowl, different
shades of blue are used dramatically to impart a sense of
three-dimensional space to the composition. Hibiscus flowers
grace both surfaces; on the inside, they are joined by astilbe
blossoms and orchid leaves. These flora are emblematic of May,
indicating that this bowl was designed for use in that
particular month. The remarkably good condition of this
early Eighteenth-century bowl is due to its being treated as a
family treasure and used only rarely, perhaps once a year in the
month of May, as a food vessel during the tea ceremony.
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