Cleveland Museum of Art

Square Jar with Birds and Flowers

Date

late 1600s

Medium

Porcelain with overglaze color enamels and gold (Hizen ware, Kakiemon type)

Culture

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This lidded square jar was likely paired with a complementary yet nonidentical mate. The pine tree, plum, and bamboo together form the frequently depicted motif known as the Three Friends of Winter ( shōchikubai ), so named because of their hardy perseverance in the cold. Each side also features a pair of birds, including cranes on one face and pheasants on another. A jar like this was fired at a high temperature, painted with colored enamels, and then fired again at a lower temperature.

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