Each piece in this collection has a delicate low-relief design of flowering plum branches over intersecting lines, which represent cracked ice on frozen water, signed in gold on the base. Yohei II created many pieces with underglaze blue designs similar to Kiyomizu Shichibei's work. However, later in his career, starting around 1873, he took on different styles. In that year, he was appointed as a supplier to Kyoto Prefecture's Industrial Center, linked to Kyoto's efforts to reach an international market through the port of Kobe. From 1875 until his death, he was involved in national projects to showcase Japanese ceramics globally. During this period, Yohei III trained under Yohei II, and it's possible that this set is an early example of Yohei III's work, which he signed with his teacher's name. The collection features flower designs resembling Japanese textile patterns, reminiscent of Yohei II's pair of vases with plum blossoms at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In this informal setting, the elaborate trees designed for formal public exhibitions have been adapted into the approachable blossoms of a domestic environment. Although the designs are consistent among the pieces, each raised flower petal and pistil, as well as each incised line in the ice, were handcrafted, making each cup, bowl, and dish unique. The bottoms of two bowls:
Each item in this set has a delicate low-relief design of flowering plum branches over scattered, intersecting lines meant to resemble the cracked-ice surface of a frozen body of water and is signed on the base in gold pigment. While Yohei II produced many fine works in underglaze blue, like those produced by Kiyomizu Shichibei, he also made works in quite different styles later in his career, from the early 1870 s. In 1873, he was appointed purveyor to the Industrial Center of Kyoto Prefecture, a designation associated with Kyoto’s efforts to reach an international market through the port of Kobe; and from 1875 until his death, he was involved in national-level projects to present Japanese ceramics across the world. It was during this period that Yohei III was apprenticed to Yohei II, and it has been suggested that this set may in fact be an early example of Yohei III’s work, which he signed with his teacher’s name. Decorated with flowers resembling Japanese textile motifs, the set calls to mind the design of Yohei II’s pair of vases with plum blossoms in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Here, the elaborate trees created for a formal public exhibition setting have been translated into the approachable blossoms of the genteel domestic environment. While the designs are consistent across the pieces, each raised flower petal and pistil and each incised line in the ice was done by hand, so the cups, bowls, and dishes are similar yet unique.
View the original at Cleveland Museum of Art →A statute built to coax privately held work onto public walls. An owner registers a piece with the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, then contracts with a museum to display it. Article 2 defines a work of art broadly, as paintings, sculpture, crafts and other tangible cultural products that are movable, which is the legal way of saying anything you could carry out of the house.
The cool part. The terms are the interesting part. Article 2 requires the public display contract to run for five years or more, and to contain a clause stating that the parties may not give notice of cancellation. You cannot lend a masterpiece for the tax treatment and then reclaim it when the market turns. Japan concluded the barrier to seeing art was never storage. It was ownership, and the fix was a contract you cannot walk out of.
Verify at e-Gov 法令検索 →Use it Two-colour foil on uncoated stock gets you most of this at production cost.
Description source: museum curator text, translated — not generated