Page 123 - Korean Buncheong Ceramics, Samsung Museum Collection (great book)

this volume). The adoption of the crane as a prominent ornamental theme on certain Edo-period
ceramics is a curious phenomenon and may perhaps be explained by the importation into Japan
of both Goryeo inlaid celadon and revivalist inlaid celadon tea bowls with crane motifs in the late
sixteenth century. The standing crane appears again as a decorative motif on late seventeenth–
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to early eighteenth-century Korean ceramics made for export to Japan and on late Edo copies of
those vessels, which will be discussed later in this essay.
On Takeo Karatsu ware, white slip is applied to highlight the individual motifs, which contrast
dramatically with the dark clay body. The cleanly executed inlay is somewhat reminiscent of the
earliest stages of buncheong, yet the treatment of these north Kyushu ceramics is very different
from the insistent emphasis on white slip over the vessel’s entire surface that defines the buncheong
aesthetic. Many of the shapes of Takeo Karatsu ware, too, are not found in Korean ceramics, from
the squat, ovoid vessels used as fresh-water jars in chayonu to the large serving dishes (ozara),
which can also be found in other ceramic wares of Japan and in porcelains from Japan and China. 26
The motifs on Takeo Karatsu ware range from those that take directly from buncheong or even
from the earlier Goryeo-period celadon (as in the examples above) to those that are entirely new.
In particular, Takeo Karatsu vessels with painted decoration exhibit ornamentation that appears to
have little connection to buncheong ware. An example of this type is a thick-walled, rather heavy

left: Figure 3.7 Large dish with decoration of chrysanthemums, turtleback pattern, and wavy lines. Japanese, Edo period (1615–1868);
first half of the 17th century. Stoneware with inlaid and stamped design (Takeo Karatsu, Kotoge kiln), H. 2 in. (5.1 cm),
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Diam. of rim 8 3 ⁄8 in. (21.2 cm), Diam. of foot 2 ⁄8 in. (5.8 cm). Nakashima Hiroshi Collection, Takeo City
right: Figure 3.8 Large dish with decoration of cranes and chrysanthemums. Japanese, first half of the 17th century. Stoneware with
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1
inlaid and stamped design (Takeo Karatsu), H. 6 ⁄8 in. (15.5 cm), Diam. of rim 19 ⁄8 in. (49.6 cm), Diam. of foot 6 ⁄8 in. (15.5 cm).
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Nakashima Hiroshi Collection, Takeo City, Important Cultural Property of Takeo City
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