Cleveland Museum of Art

Gu-Shaped Vase with Patina

Seifū Yohei IV

Date

1914–46

Medium

Porcelain with overglaze color enamel

Culture

Japan, Taishō period (1912–26) or Shōwa period (1926–89)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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

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