Page 387 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

PROVINCE OF YAMASHIRO 251
3545* Box. D. 2}^ in. Fine light clay, light gray glaze. Inside, over - decoration of
flowers in green and blue enamels touched with red and gold.
Seifu (imp.). 1850

354^' Cake-dish, on three pinched legs. D. i\ in. Dark drab clay,
rich gray glaze. Under-decoration of pine leaves, inside and out. Over-
decoration of red maple leaves, surface spotted with white slip to imitate
snow. Seifu (imp.). 1850
3547* Large BOWL. D. s| in. Yellowish-fawn clay and glaze. Over-decoration of flowers
and leaves. Flowers in white slip glazed blue, red, yellow, and pale purple.
Leaves black veined with gold. Kenzan (written). Seifu (imp.). 1850 /• —
Very rare mark.
1 I
354^- Rinsing-bowl. D. 4I in. Coarse light clay, light gray glaze. (]/?/
Under-decoration of vertical brush-marks in dark blue. Seifii (imp.), i860 \i_>
3547 3548

TSUYEN (Case 31)
Tsuyen is the name of a family in charge of Uji bridge. In the time of Hide-
yoshi it was the duty of this family to draw water from the river for use in the tea-
ceremony. The family name runs back to the twelfth century. It was a Tsuyen
who killed the big snake at Uji bridge in the time of Yorimasa. I can find no
records of any potters among this family. The pottery might have been made by
different Kyoto potters and inscribed with the mark Tsuyen and often with a drawing
of Uji bridge. The various pieces bearing the mark 7j«;/^« certainly vary greatly in
age and character. On the other hand a rare specimen of Hakuan Ki-Seto
in the collection (Cat. No. 2778) bears on the bottom in red lacquer an inscrip- jffl
tion indicating that it had been the property of Tsuyen, and the characters p^
Tsuyen are like the signature of Tsuyen on the pottery. Repeated inquiries UJ
have failed to shed any light on the subject. 3549
3549' Tea-bowl. D. 5 in. Thick and heavy. Coarse reddish Shigaraki clay. Straw and
pine decoration in brown on whitish glaze.
,
TsUyen (imp.). i8oo
3550- Tea-bowl. D. 4| in. Japanese yellow clay
and glaze. Bridge in white and brown.
TsUyen (written). 1800
A most beautiful example of Awata.

355^' Raku tea-bowl. D. 4 in. Thick black Raku
glaze. On opposite sides the characters Tsti and Yen
in white glaze. iSoo

3552. Water-bottle. H.gfin. Whitish Shigaraki 3SS0
clay, bright red bands crossing diagonally, after Hida-
suke style, Bizen, Bridge and inscription in brown. TsUyen in brown. 1800