Ko-Sometsuke Flat Sake Cup with Shrimp Motif (Ming Dynasty)
100,000Yen(Tax Included)
A Ko-Sometsuke flat sake cup delicately painted with a shrimp motif in fluid underglaze blue on a soft milky-white body. Shrimp have long been cherished in East Asia as auspicious symbols of longevity, their bent form evoking a person who has lived to an advanced age. The free and spirited brushwork, characteristic of Ko-Sometsuke wares, brings a sense of lightness and charm to the composition. Both playful and elegant, this small cup lends an atmosphere of celebration and good fortune to the drinking table.
- Period
- Ming Dynasty
Early 17th Century
- Weight
- 49 g
- Diameter
- 8.8 cm
- Height
- 2.7 cm
- Base Diameter
- 3.5 cm
- Accessories
- Paulownia Box
- Condition
- - Perfect Condition
- There is pitting (mushikui) on the rim
Ko-Sometsuke
Ko-Sometsuke refers to a distinctive group of blue-and-white porcelain fired at the Jingdezhen kilns during the late Ming dynasty, particularly in the Tianqi era (1621–27). A distinct group of blue-and-white porcelains, known as Ko-Sometsuke, is cherished as a category of its own, characterized by unique stylistic features. In contrast to the Qing dynasty Shin-watari (New Imports), these works belong to the older tradition of Ko-watari (Old Imports), and many surviving examples were transmitted to Japan. Following the death of the Wanli Emperor, the Jingdezhen imperial kilns were shut down, and Jingdezhen private kilns assumed control over both production and distribution. Many potters who had once served in the imperial kilns moved to private kilns to sustain their livelihoods, leaving behind works that still reflect the refinement of official ware. A significant portion of these works are classified as Ko-Sometsuke and Shonzui. Ko-Sometsuke is broadly divided into two categories: tea pottery commissioned by Japanese tea masters, and everyday utensils for general use. As tea pottery, Ko-Sometsuke works were crafted in imitation of the thick-bodied forms favored by Japanese tastes, characterized by substantial walls and a bold, vigorous presence. In the late Ming dynasty, Japanese tea masters actively commissioned the production of novel tea utensils, seeking works that reflected their individual aesthetic sensibilities. Many Ko-Sometsuke works exhibit a phenomenon in which the glaze flakes away due to differences in shrinkage between the base and the glaze, exposing the underlying base. This effect, resembling insect bites, is poetically referred to as “Mushikui”. This phenomenon is most commonly observed along the rim and at the corner, where the glaze tends to be applied more thinly. Though typically regarded as a flaw in conventional ceramics, tea masters discerned in it a natural elegance, appreciating its rustic simplicity as a form of aesthetic expression.