The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

A porcelain plate covered in symmetrical designs of multiple shades of blue. In the center of the plate there is a circle containing three large petals that branch out to the sides of the plate. Within the circle and petals are intricate designs of many different leaves.

Dish with Ginkgo Leaves

late 1600s–early 1700s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
Porcelain with underglaze blue (Hizen ware, Nabeshima type)
Diameter: 20 cm (7 7/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2017.61
Location: 235A Japanese

Did You Know?

The ginkgo's distinctive fan-shaped leaf is a symbol of longevity and endurance in Japanese art.

Description

This dish is an example of the finest type of Japanese porcelain, Nabeshima-type Hizen ware. It has a complex, abstracted design of ginkgo leaves and “Chinese grasses” (karakusa) in underglaze blue that may be among the most interesting of the underglaze blue designs. The dish is the largest of the three standard-sized Nabeshima dishes for individual servings.
  • ?–2017
    (Sebastian Izzard, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2017–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • von Spee, Clarissa. “Acquisition Highlights: Asian Art.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 58, no. 2 (March/April 2018): 10–11. Reproduced: p. 11; Mentioned: p. 7, 11 archive.org
    Griswold, William M. “Recent Acquisitions (2013-20) at the Cleveland Museum of Art.” Burlington Magazine 163, no. 1414 (January 2021): 93–104. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 104, no. 22; mentioned: p. 93
    Maezaki, Shinya and Sinéad Vilbar. Colors of Kyoto: The Seifū Yohei Ceramic Studio. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 50, fig. 25
  • Recent Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 17-June 7, 2018).
  • {{cite web|title=Dish with Ginkgo Leaves|url=false|author=|year=late 1600s–early 1700s|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2017.61