A Fine Japanese Narumi Oribe-yaki Pottery Dish. 18th. Century. Edo Period

Diam. 9 1/4 ins. (23.5 cms) The celebrated and important Shino & Oribe wares were made in Gifu Prefecture, formerly known as Mino, and flourished in late 16th. and early 17th. centuries. Like most pottery producing areas the wares were produced in groups of individual kilns. The wares of these kilns were often loosely connected in styles and techniques but each could have its recognisably individual flavour. The wares we call Oribe-yaki are usually characterised by a pronounced copper green splash together with brush drawn designs in iron oxide. The present dish is a rare variation of a type associated with the Narumi kilns in which a wash of iron oxide was applied to the clay and covered with the characteristic bubbly translucent glaze. This iron wash ranged in colour from reddish brown to a salmony pink depending on the firing conditions and other factors. One can readily imagine the present dish with the Oribe green splash but the technique would have been different as a copper green glaze would have been applied rather than the underglaze iron as in this case. The design of the dish is clearly influenced by the adjacent Shino kilns. The design of a stream below overhanging branches is rendered in underglaze iron which has penetrated the overall glaze to varying degrees. The indented rim is typical of the Mino style and the iron "stripes" on the outside lip are often encountered on Shino wares. On the interior are four spur scars indicating that another vessel had been fired inside the dish. These spur marks are not commonly encountered on Mino wares but the use of atypical techniques should not necessarily be regarded as evidence that the piece is from a different kiln. Two kanji have been scratched into the glaze within the foot rim which read Horeki which is the Edo Period reign mark for 1751-1764. As the characters are scratched into the glaze it is impossible to know when it was done or how much significance should be attached to it. The bowl is clearly not later than the 18th. century and quite possibly it is earlier. These dishes were used to serve small cakes , often as a preliminary to the Tea Ceremony. Condition is very good, applying the prevailing standards of judging "real" Japanese pottery. As can be seen in the photos there is an old crack which runs up from the outer edge of the foot rim and through the lip to the inside, a shorter crack in the light brown section of the lip and a short edge crack opposite the brown section. Whereas these features would be considered defects on porcelain, on pottery they are regarded as part of the history and appeal of the object. The foot has two chips which were almost certainly caused by glaze adhering to the foot from the kiln support as the bowl cooled in the kiln. There are no repairs. We have shown a photo of an Narumi Oribe dish with a similar pinky brown colour from "Shino & Oribe Ceramics" (Tokyo 1977).

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