Cleveland Museum of Art

Dish from Saucers with Matching Shells

Seifū Yohei III

Date

1893–1914

Medium

Porcelain with molded design and green crackled glaze

Culture

Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Yohei III’s main output for his sophisticated clientele was in the form of tea sets and dining sets. He created a range of dishes in green glazes. He often produced in pairs, sets of five, or sets of ten. The set of five dishes with a more complex form is described as having a “water-colored glaze” ( mizuiroyū ). These are shaped like clam half shells, a reference to a game in which shell halves painted with narrative scenes or a variety of motifs must be matched back together by the players. The dishes have molded details to articulate the shell forms, and the crackling across each shell adds another dimension to the surface. Each dish is set on three small feet, formed by a pinched piece of clay and attached to an unglazed area on the underside of the dish. Curiously, while four of the dishes are stamped with the artist’s mark, one has instead a signature carved into the base. The saucers are meant to look like matched halves of clam shells in reference to a once popular game.

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