Small, slightly concave Japanese square dish. This delicate piece is made predominantly of dark, ivory-colored ceramic, broken by a very fine network of darkened cracks (craquelure). The outside rounded edge is gilded, and appears antiqued with splotches of black interrupting the gold. Inside the gilded border, a wide emerald green brush stroke accents the upper left side and rounds to the top border of the dish terminating in a very dark, almost black-green swatch of color. The center focal point is formed by the outline of a bird in flight in the midst of three clouds, all rendered with black calligraphy style strokes.
Japanese, Owari
Dish,
late 19th century
Ceramic with gold leaf
,
11.1 x 11.1 x 1.4 cm (4 3/8 x 4 3/8 x 9/16 in.)
Object details
Accession number
C17e75
Primary Creator
Japanese, Owari
Full title
Dish
Creation Date
late 19th century
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection at an unknown date.
Dimensions
11.1 x 11.1 x 1.4 cm (4 3/8 x 4 3/8 x 9/16 in.)
Display Media
Ceramic with gold leaf
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Short Gallery
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.