High-Footed Bowl with Lotus Pond

1887–92

Seifū Yohei III 三代清風与平

(Japanese, 1851–1914)

Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Porcelain with molded design and underglaze color

height: 10 cm (3 15/16 in.); Diameter: 23 cm (9 1/16 in.)

Gift of James and Christine Heusinger 2022.155

Location: not on view

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Did You Know?

This high-footed bowl simulates exploration of a pond both from underwater and from the sky.

Description

This high-footed bowl is an especially well-executed example of Yohei III’s work in underglaze blue combined with other underglaze colors.

This bowl is of a takatsuki shape, often used for offering bowls set before altars. Its flared foot has two raised bands, and the lip of the basin is everted. The exterior is painted delicately with an underglaze design of large lotuses, with the leaves, stems, and open flower in blue line and wash. The artist creates dewdrops by leaving domes of clay unpainted on the surface of one of the leaves so that one feels them when touching the bowl. A lotus bud and two swimming fish are painted under the glaze in red with washes to achieve pink, while the outlines are in red. A foliate motif with tendrils and little round fruits in blue floats along between the fish. The basin, down to where it joins the foot, has been covered with a bluish white color. The interior of the bowl has a single large lotus leaf with raised dewdrops and three lotus flowers in full bloom, two white and one pink. The center of the pink one has been left unpainted.