Dish
Unknown Artist
1700
Medium
Clay with a crackled transparent glaze decorated with enamels and gold (Hizen ware, Kutani type)
Dimensions
Diam. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Charles Stewart Smith, 1893
Accession Number
93.3.274
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant dish, crafted around 1700 during Japan's Edo period (16151868), exemplifies the artistry of Hizen ware the Kutani type. Made from clay and coated with a distinctive crackled transparent glaze, is vibrantly decorated with enamels and gold, likely featuring birds amid floral motifs—a common theme symbolizing grace and the natural world. Measuring 8½ inches in diameter, its luminous surface captures the era's fascination with luxury and beauty, produced in the porcelain hubs of Hizen (modern Saga Prefecture). Hizen ware, renowned for its high-quality porcelain, flourished under the ...