Page 167 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

PROVINCE OF YAMATO loS :

I253~I26o. Tea-pots, incense-burner, flower-vase, bowl, etc., bearing the marks of
Nihon Banko Hori Tomonao tsukuru (1253*), Banko and Gando [Sanjin ?] (1254), Banko and
Seitoken (1255*), Banko and Mine (1256*), and Baigetsu-ga (1257*). Nothing is known about
the potters who made these objects, and the pieces are not on exhibition.

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1253 254 «) I2SS 1256 I2S7

PROVINCE OF YAMATO

This province has within its limits the time-honored town of Nara,
famous from having been the ancient capital of Japan and the residence
of a long line of emperors. Within its borders are temples, royal tombs,
and precious antiquities. With the exception of Nara there are but few
towns of any size or importance in the province, and the sparsely settled
country has not favored the growth of the pottery industry.

NARA (Case 12)
Under this name may be placed a little tea-cup said to have been made in Nara in
1730. It was evidently made to be sold as a souvenir of the place.
I261. Tea-cup. D. 2\ in. Fine reddish clay, dull light reddish glaze, thick yellowish over-
glaze around rim. Around the sides the following characters are written in olive-green
Nara Dai Butsu Ogane (written). 1730

AKAHADA (Case 12)
According to authorities, pottery was made in Akahada as early as 1624, though
the site of the oven is not known. (This does not include the earlier historic pottery
already catalogued.) In 1761 an oven was started by potters from Kyoto, and in the
early part of the present century the mark Akahada was first used. In Tokiko, how-
ever, it is stated that the ovens of Akahada were reopened in 1789, and the old marks
were used in signing the pieces. The earlier marks were incised, and the first pottery
made might easily be mistaken for Bizen. The first impressed mark was in the form
of a symmetrical double gourd ; later an asymmetrical double gourd formed the
outline. Successive marks of the same form, but varying in outline and size, were