Tenkei-Akae Small Dish with Design of Rabbit（5 Pieces / Ming Dynasty）
1,300,000Yen(Tax Included)
This is the masterpiece of tenkey-akae, which is based on a rabbit design, which is highly rated among animal designs. The brightness of the moon is colored in red and yellow, and the appearance of a jumping rabbit can be seen as the original form of early-imari fukizumi dish with design of rabbit. It is significant that the set of 5 pieces has been handed down, and their value has increased even more after approximately 400 years.
- Period
- Ming Dynasty
Early 17th century
- Condition
- It meets the requirements of the excellent work with its wonderful color and good firing.
- Description
- Paulownia Box（5 Tiered Box）
- A
- Weight：199g
Diameter：16.4cm、Height：2.8cm、Bottom Diameter：7.7cm
Condition：Excellent Condition（There are mushikui at the edge）
- B
- Weight：169g
Diameter：16.2cm、Height：2.7cm、Bottom Diameter：8.3cm
Condition：Excellent Condition（There are mushikui at the edge）
- C
- Weight：183g
Diameter：16.3cm、Height：2.9cm、Bottom Diameter：8.3cm
Condition：Good Condition（There are mushikui at the edge）
There is a chip at the bottom, but it is still in perfect condition
- D
- Weight：205g
Diameter：16.3cm、Height：2.8cm、Bottom Diameter：8.5cm
Condition：There are mushikui and crack at the edge
- E
- Weight：193g
Diameter：16.3cm、Height：2.8cm、Bottom Diameter：8.0cm
Condition：There are mushikui and crack at the edge
The colored porcelain fired at jingdezhen kiln mainly during the Tianqi era（1621-27）is called “Tenkei-Akae” and is highly rare as the total number is overwhelmingly smaller than that of the kosometsuke. As the nation’s power declined, the style of the jingdezhen kiln became disordered, but at the same time, generous designs and styles that were described as free spirited and light and stylish were created.
It is said that the rabbit’s jumping appearance brings it leaps, its fertility brings prosperity, and its habitation on the moon brings luck. The moon and rabbit have been familiar since ancient times, and have been known by nicknames such as “Moon Rabbit”. Even in early-imari, a moon rabbit design similar to the kosometsuke of the ming dynasty can be seen, and it is assumed that it was influenced by the kosometsuke.
As imported goods, they were luxury works of art that were in demand among the powerful and wealthy, and were especially prized by japanese tea masters.
Tianqi Aka-e
Tianqi aka-e refers to overglaze-enamel porcelain produced mainly during the Tianqi era (1621–1627) of the late Ming dynasty at the folk kilns of Jingdezhen. Overglaze enamels in red, green, yellow, black, and other colors are fired atop cobalt-blue underglaze decoration, creating a style distinguished by its refined yet freely executed and spirited expression. Following the death of the Wanli Emperor, the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen fell into closure, and production shifted to the folk kilns. Artisans who had formerly served in the imperial workshops moved to the folk kilns to make a living, where they produced numerous works that retained the elegance and discipline associated with official ware. These works are today classified as Tianqi aka-e, as well as ko-sometsuke and shonzui, both highly valued in the tea world. Tianqi aka-e often exhibits areas where the glaze has flaked away due to differences in shrinkage between the body and the glaze, exposing the underlying clay. Because these pits resemble insect bites, the phenomenon is known as mushikui (“insect-nibbled”). It commonly appears along rims and corners where the glaze was applied thinly. Although such features might ordinarily be regarded as flaws, tea connoisseurs appreciated them as natural accents of elegance, valuing the rustic beauty that emerges from these unintended effects.