ART 198 - HISTORY OF WORLD CERAMICS

Another of the overglaze enamel wares produced in Arita during the Edo period is Nabeshima ware. Produced for imperial use under the control of the local Nabeshima clan, it is perhaps the highest quality porcelain overglaze work. Under imperial patronage large kiln compounds were set up and often moved to keep the secrets from spies. Finally the kilns were set up in Okawachi, a deep, heavily forested valley under armed guard. Nabeshima ware was subject to extreme quality control and only a small percentage of the production was deemed of acceptable quality, with substandard work rejected. Designs were first painted in underglaze cobalt and this is seen in the blue areas of this plate. Nabeshima ware often features large objects painted in the foreground against a textile design background. Here gourds and ropes are arranged on a patterned background. Color schemes in Nabeshima ware feature soft, pastel colors, and often the clay body can be seen in a large area of white.

Nabeshima Plate, Porcelain with Cobalt Underglaze, and Overglazes Japan, Edo Period, circa 1700 CE