Always an important symbol of strength and courage in Chinese art, the tiger was considered supreme among the land beasts and was credited with the ability to fend off demons and ill fortune. In Japan, where the tiger (“tora”) was not indigenous, early beliefs regarding the animal followed the mold of China. Because tigers were only seen occasionally in traveling menageries in Japan, their representation in Japanese art was often less than realistic. Whatever the inspiration behind this artistic treatment of tigers, pre-modern Japanese artists generally depicted them in a highly stylized manner. This resulted in paintings and ceramics which portrayed an entire race of animals with somewhat unusual or exaggerated features, appearing more cat-like or even shishi-like than the potentially ferocious beasts they are.

For centuries, Bizen has been highly regarded for its dark red-brown stoneware made from iron-rich clay with a natural ash glaze. Bizen pottery is unglazed but fired at such a high a temperature that a natural glaze is formed on the surface. Also upon firing, wood ash flies up in the kiln and is deposited randomly on the pottery, giving each piece its own individuality and vitality. “Okimono” is the generic name for Japanese decorative objects which have no utilitarian function but are merely created to please the eye. They are usually of ceramic or metal, and most frequently represent animals, birds or human figures. (See “Bizen Okimono” by Robert L. Yellin in DARUMA 31.) It is quite rare to find Bizen ware figures of tigers.

No one is sure about the derivation of the term, but “‘stone’ plate” (“ishi-zara”) presumably refers to the relative sturdiness of these large shallow bowls, which always had horizontally everted rims for added strength. They were sometimes called “herring plates” as they were often used to serve a kind of herring stew. During the late Edo period, “stone” plates were a standard utilitarian product of the many kilns comprising the pottery town of Seto and environs in Aichi Prefecture near Nagoya.

Folk pottery consists of various kinds of domestic wares which possess a natural dignity that stems from the combination of the materials used to make and fire the pottery, the craftsman’s technical skill, and the use to which such pottery is put. Folk-craft products or “mingei,” of which this dish is representative, are objects used by common people. These commonplace, functional artifacts are endowed with a beauty directly connected with their utility – a beauty that is humble, unassuming and never pretentious. Considered a quintessential example of Japanese ceramic folk art, Seto ishi-zara are represented in most major collections of mingei or Japanese folk ceramics.

Pieces of this type and age are attributed to the productions of the Ryumonji kilns; however, this type of glaze was also used on Soma Obori and Shigaraki wares. Ko Satsuma production included articles for use in the tea ceremony. Such articles were generally small in size. There were many varieties of Ko Satsuma which would not be accepted as “refined” by Western standards. However, to the connoisseur of Japanese ceramics, such wares are highly prized and sought after. This pot was made for domestic use and not for export. A nearly identical tea pot is illustrated in Figure 243, page 139, “Treasury of Satsuma” by Sandra Andacht.