Page 291 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

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usually seen in the shape of bowls, plates, and incense-boxes, rarely water-jars, tea-jars,
or bottles. The earliest forms look archaic, and some of them are attractive from their
quaint and distinctive qualities. Records state that the earliest pieces recognized under
the name of Shino date back to 1700 or before, and are due to Shino Saburo or Shino
Oribe (pseudonym Shino So-on), a tea-lover who made them by order of his prince.
The type of pottery must have been made long before this date, as the gray, white-
inlaid Shino is accorded an age of three hundred and fifty years. The older pieces are
very thick and heavy. The name Shino Oribe is usually applied to objects departing
somewhat from the black decorated ones in being less rough and heavy and in having
brown decoration with splashes of green glaze. Red Oribe is still more refined, and
has a dull or rich orange-red glaze with slight decoration. Black Oribe is also known
on account of its black glaze with white decoration. The names, Seto Oribe, Akatsu
Oribe, Narumi Oribe, etc., are applied to forms supposed to be made after Oribe's taste
in these respective places. The productions within the last hundred years have hope-
lessly confounded all these distinctions. Shino, as known by the Japanese to-day, is a
typical form, the minor distinctions are not of sufficient interest to separate, and all
pieces may be roughly classed as Shino.
2610. Deep cup, square, corners grooved. H. 3! in. Hard stone clay, coarsely crackled.
Leaves and grasses in white Mishima. 1530
2611. Square tray. W. 9 in. Flaring sides. Thick and solid. Hard stone clay, thick
dark gray glaze, coarsely crackled. Leaves and border in white Mishima. 1530
The two preceding objects are exceedingly rare. They have been identified as Shino
Sotan.
2612. Similar to last. 1630
2613. Tea-bowl. D. 5J in. Light brown clay. Oblique parallel lines at various angles
strongly incised in white Mishima inside and out. • 1650
2614—2616. Tea-jars and shallow bowl. 1580-1600
2617. Cake-dish. D. 6f in. White clay and glaze. Inside, rude decoration of flowers,
bands and birds in dark brown. 1600
2618. Bowl, beaker form. D. 5J in. Fawn clay, white glaze. Vertical brush-marks,
inside and out, of yellow, bluish-green, and brown. • 1600
Type Ninagawa. Part V., Fig. 27.
2619. Tea-bowl, 1630
2620. Single flower - holder, double gourd-shaped, irregular in form. H. 3I in.
White clay, white Shino glaze, zigzag lines, encircling bands, and circles in brown. 1630
2621. Tea-bowl. D. 5^ in. Thick and massive. Light fawn clay, thick white Shino
glaze, coarsely pitted and crackled. 1630
2622. Tea-bowl. D. 4J in. Whitish-fawn clay, white Shino glaze, vertical
^
1650
brush-mark and diaper in bluish-gray. Hiaku (inc.).
2623. Comfit-bottle. 1650 2622