Page 66 - 2021 March 16th Japanese and Korean Art, Christie's New York City

47 AN EARTHENWARE DISH WITH LANDSCAPE

KENZAN WARE, EDO PERIOD (18TH CENTURY), SIGNED FUYO KENZAN(OGATA
KENZAN; 1663-1743)

The circular dish set on a ring foot, painted in
underglazed iron-oxide and enamels with a
winter landscape, the outer rim designed with
roundels of stylized birds, all covered with a
transparent glaze, signature on base
10√ in. (27.6 cm.) diam.

$30,000-40,000

In 1712, Kenzan closed his kiln in the secluded outskirts
of Kyoto--his earlier client base may have dried up--
and moved to the thriving, downtown commercial area
west of Teramachi on Nijo Street, the major business
thoroughfare. Here, in the center of the city, he was
supported by newly wealthy townsmen. In 1711, his
brother, Korin, the painter, moved to a location a few
blocks away. The two brothers--both celebrity artists--
collaborated on ceramics. In this convenient downtown
area, known as Nijo-Chojiyamachi, Kenzan maintained
a highly successful ceramics business using rented
kiln spaces. Contemporary sources list Kenzan wares
among the prominent Kyoto products of the second
decade of the eighteenth century.

There is one similar example with a design of mountain
landscape and unglazed foot rim, see Arakawa Masaaki,
eds., Art of Kenzan and His Brother Korin,pl. 47.