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A Japanese Arita “Three Friends of Winter” dish.
Two interesting attributes:
It has an increasing level of blurriness as you approach the edge. I am guessing it was spun on a wheel at low speed while the paint was still wet. Looks very centrifugal. I guess this is just a type of style? Probably even has an obscure Japanese word for it.
It has a rather large bent-in spot on the rim. Maybe it was pushed up against another plate in the kiln. The bent-in area, I think coincidentally(?), is at the exact bottom of the dish. Almost accidentally like a barber’s dish, but not that extreme. And on the outside of the bent area is a defect where at it apparently had to be separated from another dish.
Mid or late 19th?
In the same style as the dish in the link below. But probably worth under $100...as opposed to the $3000 Nabeshima.
Todd
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21786/lot/2191/?category=list&length=10&page=19
take it with a grain of salt
Hi Todd,
The Bonhams bowl is beautiful, but I confess I had to look up the meaning of shakazara thinking it referred to the tone of blue. After a bit of looking I am assuming it is actually shaku-zara meaning large dish? Is that correct?
Which neatly brings me to what I wanted to ask and that is how big it is? I know there are those lovely animals in the photo for perspective, but I don't know how big they are. 😆 😊
I like your dish, it is very lovely with the bent side. I am not sure about the age. If it is a big dish, I may go for the slightly later date you gave because of the blue-ish tone to the glaze. Possibly also due to the smudging, not sure why I am saying that last bit but I did have two bowls in those shades of glaze, not as large or nice, but they dated around 1900.
If it is smaller than I am thinking, it may be older owing to all the spurs, but my feeling is later 19th c.
Julia
Hi Julia,
I admit I don’t know the meaning of shakazara either. If you found “large dish” as the meaning, you did better than I did. I googled it also, upon viewing the Bonham’s piece, and only noticed that it always seemed to be connected with Nabeshima. I gave up rather quickly, and found no other information. I do know that zara is a suffix that is attached to types of dishes in Japanese. So I guess the Shaka or Shaku is the mystery. Perhaps you have solved it.
Yes, the tigers are for perspective, but why I would think people would know the size of them, I don’t know 🤣 . The charger is 14” exactly.
I agree with everything you say about the age. The shade of blue does not seem to be an older one. And the style, for me, does not match early 19th century either. Ten spurs is a bit unusual number for a 14” dish, but absent any other evidence, late 19th seems correct.
I’m always surprised by the details you pick up, Julia. In this case, its the glaze. You are right, it is a distinguishing thing. It is thick and pooling and of a certain color. I have seen it before also, but not sure which of my dishes I am thinking of. Maybe it will come to me.
Todd
take it with a grain of salt
And there was me thinking I was the only one who didn't know what it meant. 🤣
Thanks for the sizing, I am glad you are thinking the same way. I am pretty sure we are in the right ball park: is that the same as a wheel house? I had never heard of that but I am never sure I use ball park correctly either, but hopefully you know what I mean.
I am sure Michael or Mark will tell us otherwise if they disagree - about the dating not those expressions! 😊
I was going to say the best way to phrase it would be, “we are in the ballpark”. Removing the “right”. But actually, I think your way is fine too.
Wheelhouse is a bit different. In baseball, it refers to a power zone. If not baseball, it usually means an area of expertise. Maybe an area of the mind which is powerful?
Both of these are very American expressions, and very male also. Which is why I feel ok expressing “advice” to you, Julia. In most other cases, I think the advice should be flowing in the opposite direction 😋 .
take it with a grain of salt
Hi Todd,
I asked Peter about an Arita charger I had purchased, with a similar blurriness to the cobalt pattern towards the rim. He dated it at 1890 to 1915. I think the blurriness indicates that the decoration on the edge slumped towards the middle a little during firing.
But the glaze is bluer on you plate. Also, the cobalt blue decoration is much darker and more pleasing in color--it's pretty washed out on mine. So, not sure if the blurriness alone is a good indication of date...
Charles
Hi Charles,
I really like your dish. The bird is drawn quite nicely.
Your explanation regarding the blurring hadn’t even occurred to me. So, gravity simply worked its magic on the design before it had dried. That makes perfect sense. The flat areas are unaffected. My theory of it being put on a wheel seemed very strange even to me...a curious thing to do. But I thought, ok, artists can be odd 😋 . Thanks so much for the information, another piece to the never-ending puzzle.
take it with a grain of salt
Hi All,
Nice dish. Think the so called blurriness is just an accident of the kiln maybe to hot or to long. In the west it's called flow blue there is an apocryphal story that one of the English manufactures in the very early 19th c opened their kiln to find all the blue and white china had seemingly been ruined as all the blue had run and as a result the decoration was very blurry. The pottery concerned was facing disaster until one of the directors came up with the name flow blue. Every single item sold at a premium and the pottery never looked back once they learned how to make the mistake again but on purpose this time.
As far as your dish is concerned others have posted about the shade of blue assume they are pointing out that it is chemical blue have to take their word as on my screen and with my eyes I can't really see if it is Chemical blue. If it is you have a not before date it is widely accepted that by about 1875 chemical blue was in widespread use. That shape to the rim is most likely done on purpose for use as a sort of handle makes it easier to pick up. I have seen it on slightly smaller dishes where the opposite side is pushed slightly downwards so pointing out and the dish could be used as a scoop for rice.
Nicely decorated with the classic 3 friends good antique dish made for pleasant daily use and not a connoisseurs cabinet so if it was mine would not be to worried about an exact date.
Nice find.
Michael
Thank you Mark and Michael. Interesting story Michael. Many great inventions and discoveries were serendipitous. And many fascinating stories to go with them.
take it with a grain of salt
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