Moto-Shonzui Blue-and-White Fluted Bowl with Landscape Motif (Ming-Qing Dynasty)
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This bowl stands at the transitional threshold between Ko-sometsuke and Shonzui styles. Its thick walls convey a sense of robustness, yet the fluted exterior introduces delicate shadows and a quiet tension to the form. A Shonzui-style sailing vessel glides gently across a cobalt sea, encircled by bands of geometric and thunder motifs that softly embrace its voyage. The footring is deeply recessed, with the glaze meticulously wiped from the base, revealing the craftsman's reverence and aesthetic sensibility in every detail.
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- Product Code
- 250902-6
- Period
- Ming Dynasty
Early 17th Century
- Weight
- 197g
- Mouth Diameter
- 8.0×7.7cm
- Height
- 7.3cm
- Base Diameter
- 5.4cm
- Fittings
- Paulownia Box
- Condition
- Intact (There are mushikui on the rim)
It possesses a beautiful surface, ideal cobalt-blue decoration, and an outstanding firing—fulfilling all the conditions of a superior work.
Shonzui
Shonzui refers to the top-quality porcelain that was fired at the Jingdezhen kilns in China, during the late Ming dynasty’s Chongzhen era (1628-44). The name comes from the fact that there is a blue-and-white (sometsuke) inscription on part of the vessel that reads “Gorodayu Goshonzui-Made” which is interpreted as meaning “Made by the eldest son of the fifth son of the Go family”. There is a theory that Kobori Enshu was involved, and the buyers included tea masters, samurai, Zen temples, and wealthy merchants. It is made from high-quality white porcelain and is thick and heavy when you hold it. It is characterized by deep crystal-clear glaze, and the focus is on filling every corner of the surface of the vessel with auspicious and geometric designs. Some of the vessel shapes are modeled on Momoyama tea pottery, and known works include tea utensils such as water container, tea bowl, chaire, incense container, tea towel container, and shaking container (furidashi), as well as luxury tableware such as sake bottle, bowl, mukozuke, dish, and sake cup. Adding Shonzui to a formal tea gathering arrangement creates a sense of cleanliness and harmonizes with the unglazed pottery and colored ware.