Page 144 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

THE CATALOGUE
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1063. Low SQUARE BOTTLE, short neck. H. 4 in. Light reddish-brown clay, deep yellow-
ish-brown glaze, thick light fawn overglaze, mottled, running halfway down; edge of
glaze tinged with light blue. Upper portion deeply curdled. Strong cloth-mark
impression on bottom. Asano (imp.). 1750
"^3
OHI (Case 10 and Plate V. 1067, 1068, 1070)
Pottery known as Ohi is made in a village by that name in the eastern part of
Kanazawa, which is thirty miles from Yamashiro village. It is said that the first
Ohi pottery was made by Chozayemon, a brother of Ichiyu, one of the Raku family.
This was in 1683. The earliest pieces had the impressed mark Raku. Early bowls
of this potter have a close spiral line cut on the outside of the vessel. The only
ones I have seen of this character appear to be imitations. In 1780 the mark Ohi
was first used. There is a variety of these marks continuing from that time to the
present day. There is one form of the mark Ohi always associated with the earliest
and best examples of the work. Ohi pottery is a characteristic soft Raku, usually
having a deep rich reddish-yellow, or " honey glaze " as it is called by the Japanese.
The pottery which nearest resembles it is a form made at Shizuhata, Suruga, and so
closely does this resemble Ohi that in the classical collection brought together by
Japanese experts for the Philadelphia Exposition, which formed the material for the
famous catalogue of the South Kensington Collection by Dr. Franks, is included a
specimen of Suruga, under Ohi, the mark having been interpreted Senki, the Sinico-
Japanese way of pronouncing the characters, which should be read Shizuhata.
1064. Shallow bowl. D. 5J in. Soft fawn clay. Rich purple-brown glaze with glisten-
ing areas of reddish-orange. Unglazed areas. Left-hand spiral on bottom.
Raku (imp.). 1683
1065. Incense-box (split bell). D. 2f in. Moulded. Light olive glaze,
inside, dark brownish areas. Ohi Kambei saku, roku-ju issai. Temmei hachi-
nen saru hachi-gatsu ju-go-nichi (incised). 1788
1064