The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 30, 2026

A stoneware vessel is shaped into a sharp triangle with straight, vertical walls. Its mottled beige surface is decorated with dark brown strokes and soft, rounded patches of white depicting flowering branches. The floral design wraps around the corners, contrasting with the vessel's geometric form. A thin, dark brown band traces the rim. The glaze has a subtle, matte texture, catching light softly along the flat sides and defined edges.

One of Five Serving Bowls (Mukozuke) with Prunus Design

1700s to mid-1800s

school of Ogata Kenzan

(Japanese, 1663–1743)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Kyoto Ware: stoneware with underglaze iron oxide and slip decoration
Overall: 6.9 cm (2 11/16 in.); Each side: 9 cm (3 9/16 in.)
Cornelia Blakemore Warner Fund and Edward L. Wittemore Fund 1963.508.3
Location: Not on view

Description

Note the rough, tan, clay bodies of these bowls with their deliberate irregularities. The design of branches was first painted in a black iron oxide, then the blossoms and buds in a white slip, followed by the application of a very thin transparent overglaze.
  • Later Japanese Art Rotation; Februaary 10, 2003
    "Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Ceramics," The Duke University Museum of Art, March 15-May 5, 1986.
    "In the Nature of Materials--Japanese Decorative Arts," CMA. Jan. 18-Feb. 27, 1977, cat. #2.
    Asian Occasion. Cleveland Home and Flower Show, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 3-11, 1973).
    Year in Review (1963). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 27, 1963-January 5, 1964).
  • {{cite web|title=One of Five Serving Bowls (Mukozuke) with Prunus Design|url=false|author=Ogata Kenzan|year=1700s to mid-1800s|access-date=30 April 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1963.508.3