Page 281 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

PROVINCE OF OWARI 185

2244* Tea-jar. H. i|J in. Grayish-brown clay, brown glaze mottled with darker brown.
Evidences of looped knobs ground away. Coarse thread-mark. 1230
Type Ninagawa. Part II., Fig. 18.
2245-2251. Tea-jars of ist Toshiro. 1230
2252. Globular tea-jar. H. aj in. Thin walls. Fine brown clay, straw-colored under-
glaze with light bluish tinges, coarsely crackled. Irregular splashes of dark brown glaze.
Transparent overglaze. Smooth bottom. 1240
^
Type Ninagawa. Part II., Fig. 19.
2253- Globular tea-jar. H. 2\ in. Thin walls. Fine brown clay, lustrous brown glaze
strongly mottled with dark seal-brown. Fine left-hand thread-mark. 1240
Type Ninagawa. Part II., Fig. 20.
2254* Tea-jar. H. 2\ in. Light fawn clay, straw-colored underglaze, irregular splashes
of dark brown glaze. Smooth bottom. 1240
Gift of Henry Bigelow.
J.
SUCCESSORS OF TOSHIRO (Case 21 and Plate XVII. 2255, 2256, 2257)
It seems almost hopeless to attempt to divide the unquestionable antiques among
the Seto tea-jars and allot them to their respective makers. The types figured by
Ninagawa were accompanied by documents probably attesting to their origin. The
resemblance of these types to tea-jars which I have seen in the collections of the prince
of Kuroda, the governor of Yatsushiro, and others, is a further proof of the correctness
of these attributions. If the third generation of Toshiro had made only the kind
known as Kinkazan, and the fourth generation had made only the type known as Hafu-
gama, the difficulties would be less, but these two potters by no means confined their
work to one kind of tea-jar. Furthermore these kinds have been made in every suc-
ceeding century. The difficulties with first and second Toshiro are equally great.
The custom of the Japanese antiquarian of identifying all tea-jars within two hundred
years of Toshiro's time as hon no mono (true thing) Toshiro does not render the task
any easier. Such as can be with any reason of probability catalogued under first
Toshiro, second Toshiro, third Toshiro, and fourth Toshiro (Tosaburo), will be so
catalogued with no assurance that others will not be inclined to modify the sequence.

SECOND TOSHIRO
2255. Tea-jar. H. 2 J in. Dark brown clay, brown underglaze with splash of dark brown
and light fawn overglaze. Smooth bottom. 1250
Type Ninagawa. Part II., Fig. 21.

THIRD TOSHIRO (T5jiro)
2256. Tea-jar. H. 2f in. Reddish-brown clay, lustrous deep brown glaze mottled with
golden-brown. 1300
Type Ninagawa. Part II., Fig. 23.
2257. Tea-jar. H. 2J in. Light brown clay, reddish-brown glaze with darker brown
areas. 1300
Type Ninagawa. Part II., Fig. 24.