白磁布袋唐子雪玉形置物|Snowball Pushed by Hotei and a Child
Unknown Artist
mid-19th century
Medium
White porcelain (Hirado ware)
Dimensions
H. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); W. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. V. Everit Macy, 1923
Accession Number
23.225.52
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming porcelain figurine, titled *Snowball Pushed by Hotei and a Child*, captures a joyful moment from mid-19th-century Japan during the Edo period (1615–1868). Crafted in fine white Hirado ware—a prestigious porcelain from the kilns of Hirado Island, Nagasaki—the piece stands just 3⅝ inches tall and 5⅜ inches wide. Its pristine, ivory-toned surface evokes the elegance of Chinese blanc de chine, prized for its translucency and purity, making it ideal for delicate sculptural forms. The scene features Hotei, one of Japan's beloved Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin), symbolizing fortune, h...