Also known as Shofu Kajo, this potter was born in Seto, moving to Kyoto in 1890. Shofu excelled in hard-paste porcelains and was known for his blowout designs in multi-colored glazes. He is said to have invented several new techniques, including moriage porcelain, which is exemplified by this vase. He was awarded the Green Ribbon in 1915. Shofu’s works are generally classified in the same league as those of studio potters Makazu Kozan and Seifu Yohei III. Several examples of his porcelains are featured in “Treasures of Imperial Japan: Ceramics from the Khalili Collection,” including Figure 35, which illustrates a similarly shaped and colored vase of the same size decorated with stylized geese.

To Japanese women, hair ornaments were much more than mere accessories to feminine hair-do and attire. The comb progressed from a utilitarian object to a highly decorative one on which craftsmen and artists lavished their imagination and skill. In keeping with their inclination to beautify even ordinary items of everyday use, the Japanese turned hair ornaments into extraordinary artistic objects that mirrored the cultural and social history of the period. They reflected the life and status of their wearers, who were geisha, courtesans, ladies in the court and women in their homes. In their own small way, combs and hairpins provide a miniature glimpse of the exceptional beauty of Japanese art. (See the wonderful article “Combs and Hairpins” by Sharon Ziesnitz and Takeguchi Momoko in DARUMA 35, Summer 2002.)

Also known as Shofu Kajo, this potter was born in Seto, moving to Kyoto in 1890. Shofu excelled in hard-paste porcelains and was known for his blowout designs in multi-colored glazes. He is said to have invented several new techniques, including moriage porcelain, which is exemplified by this vase. He was awarded the Green Ribbon in 1915. Shofu’s works are generally classified in the same league as those of studio potters Makazu Kozan and Seifu Yohei III. Several examples of his porcelains are featured in “Treasures of Imperial Japan: Ceramics from the Khalili Collection,” including Figure 37, which illustrates a vase modeled in low relief.

It was extremely difficult for us to capture the true blue background color, and the blue shown in our first ten photos is a bit too bright. See Enlargement Photos 11 and 12 for a closer representation of the actual blue background color of this vase.

The upper tray held finely sifted wood ash, tamped flat and smooth, over which the wooden grid template was placed. A furrow was cut into the ash in the shape of the grid lines and then filled with powdered incense which burned at a uniform rate. Once the incense was placed into the continuous track, the grid was removed and the incense ignited. The latticework cover was then put in place to prevent a breeze from accelerating the rate of combustion of the burning incense. The incense would burn continuously for hours as the lighted edge made its way around the grid design.

Continual offerings of incense using a jokoban were often found in Japanese Buddhist temples during religious rites. Because long periods of time could be measured by the amount of incense burned, this type of Japanese incense clock was also used in community life as well as in the temples. Examples of old kobandokei show burn scars, overall evidence of handling and the presence of ash or powdered incense. Relatively few examples of antique incense clocks have survived. This is a rare item for Buddhist temples or serious Buddhist practitioners.

The miniature figure of Kannon stands on a lotus blossom base in a rocky outcropping, encased in a boat-shaped body halo or mandala. He is represented as an Indian prince with a crown, jewels and skirt, and he holds a bottle of heavenly nectar. Polychrome pigments have been used to color his hair and jewels, and there are gilt highlights on both the figure and the rocks. Kannon (called “Kuan-yin” in Chinese) is the bodhisattva or saint of mercy and compassion. The Japanese term Kannon literally means "watchful listening," and it is often translated as "the one who sees/hears all." This is indeed the task of the compassionate Kannon -- to witness and listen to the prayers and cries of those in difficulty in the earthly realm and to help them achieve enlightenment.

The tiny figure of Kobo Daishi is seated inside the doors of a miniature shrine. He sits on a wood chair which rests atop a pedestal, and his shoes are placed underneath the front of the chair in customary form. He holds a Buddhist rosary in his left hand and a vajra (mace with four prongs symbolizing a thunderbolt) in his right hand. There are gilt highlights on the figure and the shrine doors and drapery. Kobo Daishi (774-835) is one of the most venerated figures of early Japanese Buddhism. He was the founder of the Shingon (True Word) sect of Buddhism, as well as a philosopher, poet, educational reformer, painter and calligrapher.

The art nouveau era produced wonders in match safes as countries around the world strove to supply the smoker with every conceivable figural conception. Japan, always quick to follow the West in copying and improving on new ideas, produced match-safes in wonderful forms. Mostly made of brass, Japanese cases were made in Eastern designs with unlimited artistic themes, all done in miniature detail with the most pleasing renditions and the highest quality craftsmanship. Match safes were made to give the owner both visual and tactile pleasure as they fit comfortably into the hand. Cases were appealing to both men and women and were easily carried in the kimono sleeve. (See “The Oriental Match-Safe” by Earle J. Stone in ARTS OF ASIA September/October 1986.)

An aburazara is a special flat plate with a perpendicular edge. It was used to catch oil drippings and soot from the burnt wick of an oil burning lamp called an andon. Due to changes in lighting technology, aburazara ceased to be made in the Meiji period.

The fascination of aburazara for the collectors of Japanese folk art lies in their painted motifs. Their simple designs always possessed a spontaneous vitality, and the decoration on this plate is large in scale and freely executed. Considered a quintessential example of Japanese ceramic folk art, Seto aburazara are represented in most major collections of mingei or Japanese folk ceramics. (See “Andon Lantern Plates” by Yamazaki Masumi, the cover article in DARUMA 42 for many wonderful examples of these oil plates.)

An important part of the paraphernalia connected with opium smoking was the opium box, which was used to hold the gummy substance. Opium boxes are small in size, usually round or oblong in shape. With few exceptions, they have deep pull-off covers which tend to fit quite tightly over the inner flange. They were manufactured, for the most part, from the late-18th to the early 20th century. (An oblong paktong opium box of similar style is illustrated in Figure 22 of the book “Chinese Opium Boxes: H. J. Eiley Collection” by Catherine Pagani. This book features opium boxes from the extensive personal collection donated to and displayed in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada.)

The alloy paktong also has a fascinating history. Centuries before nickel was isolated in the west, the Chinese had produced an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel which had the lustrous sheen and color tone of silver, was appreciably harder than silver, and did not tarnish in use. Many examples of this alloy have a particularly pleasing color which is silver bright but possesses what has been termed a “soul of gold.” For additional information about paktong, see our article in ARTS OF ASIA, Nov/Dec. 1992.

Kobe toys take their name from the port of Kobe, where the main period of production lasted from1870 to the 1920’s. These small wooden figures are simply hand-carved and the colors subdued – natural wood, blackened, or small pieces of ebony, inlaid bone or ivory eyes, and a red mouth. Kobe toys always portray a Negroid human figure. The Japanese were fascinated by the colorful black faces and features of sailors on ships from Africa and America who disembarked in Kobe when the port was reopened in 1868. These subjects became sculpted forever in the form of Kobe toys, which were carved from scraps of ebony or hardwoods by folk art craftsmen. Since all work was done by hand, no two specimens were ever identical. For the most part, these works were sold as souvenirs along the docks of the port of Kobe, and the majority of purchasers were sailors and Western tourists. (See Figure 19 in “Kobe Dolls,” DARUMA 34, for sample of photos of Kobe Dice Men used for taking orders from souvenir shops.) The best specimens date up to circa 1920, and they are the rarest and most valuable. From their origins as relatively cheap souvenirs, Kobe toys have turned into exceedingly rare collector’s items.

Both Nabeshima and Hirado wares are considered to be among the finest porcelains ever made in Japan, and they are highly prized among today’s collectors. Hirado was produced at Mikawachi near Arita, and for much of its history was made under the patronage of the lords of Hirado. Aristocratic patronage ended in the 1830’s with the commercialization of the kilns; however, the quality of Hirado remained very high. Hirado ware consists of a very pure, fine-grained and high-quality white porcelain. It is characterized by highly refined white clay that would be fired to high temperatures, and the glaze was lustrous and void of any kind of granulation.

In the Meiji period the Hirado kilns made many pieces in traditional Nabeshima style, although they were not slavish in following the original designs. The design on the front of this dish, like most of the Hirado dishes in Nabeshima style, is of a type that would generally not have been found on the earlier Nabeshima wares.