The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 14, 2025

Gu-Shaped Vase with Patina

1914–46

Seifū Yohei IV

(Japanese, 1872–1951)
Japan, Taishō period (1912–26) or Shōwa period (1926–89)
Porcelain with overglaze color enamel
31.2 x 16.5 cm (12 5/16 x 6 1/2 in.)
Gift of James and Christine Heusinger 2022.230
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The glaze recalls in some respects a Chinese glaze named “snowflake blue,” or xuehualan (Japanese sekka’ai), a low-fired lead-fluxed glaze.

Description

Yohei IV’s interest in bold, colorful designs is on full display in this purple gu-shaped vase. He not only exhibits his penchant for bold colors but also shows off a complex surface that suggests the patina on an ancient bronze. The body of the vase is a dark, greenish blue over which there is a thick application of color. While the predominant overlaid color is lavender purple, salmon pink and cornflower blue appear in places along with myriad nearly black forms, perhaps floating dandelion seeds or tiny flowers, scattered over the surface.
  • ?–2022
    James and Christine Heusinger, Berea, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2022–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Maezaki, Shinya and Sinéad Vilbar. Colors of Kyoto: The Seifū Yohei Ceramic Studio. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 88, pp. 176–179
  • Colors of Kyoto: The Seifū Yohei Ceramic Studio. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 19, 2023-March 10, 2024).
  • {{cite web|title=Gu-Shaped Vase with Patina|url=false|author=Seifū Yohei IV|year=1914–46|access-date=14 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.230