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Ogata Kenzan

Bowl with Reticulated Rim

Early 18th century

Japan, Kyoto Prefecture

Stoneware with pierced design and painted with slips under glaze and overglaze enamels and gold (Kyoto ware)

H. 4 7/8 x Diam. 7 1/2 in. (11 x 19.1 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.252

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A sprawling scene of golden wild geese circling among green bamboo and black river banks envelops the exterior and interior surfaces of this perforated, deep bowl. The elaborate and colorful decoration on this piece reflects both the artist Ogata Kenzan's own flair and the rich Kyoto ceramic tradition in which he belongs. In fact, Kenzan's technique and style follows in the footsteps of another famous Kyoto potter a generation earlier, Nonomura Ninsei (active ca. 1646–1677), who perfected the use of overglaze enamels on stoneware. The semi-abstract, vibrant-hued designs of Kenzan's works often parallel the popular Rinpa style of painting -- characterized by the visualization of famous scenes, narratives, and motifs from classical literature through bold designs and colors -- with which he was quite familiar: his older brother, Ogata Korin (1658-1716), was a leading Rinpa painter. Kenzan's signature can be found on the base of the bowl.