Page 425 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

PROVINCE OF YAMASHIRO 277

3882. Beaker. D. 4I in. Light brown clay, thick gray glaze, splash of rich brown glaze
inside and out. Around upper portion grass in brown,
blue, and white. Yeiraku and Kikutani (imp.). 1875
3883. Wine-bottle. H. 5^ in. Light fawn clay, yel-
low glaze. About neck light brown glaze running. Over-
decoration of bamboo in brown, green, white, and gold.
Yeiraku and Kikutani (imp.). 1875

3884. Bottle, with handle. H. sJ in. Brown clay,
olive-gray glaze, rich brown overglaze running. Yeiraku and Kikutani (imp.). 1875
3885. Bowl. D. 4J in. Light fawn clay, greenish-white glaze coarsely crackled j thick
glassy overglaze. Over-decoration of flowers in white slip,
with yellow centres, green leaves. Kikutani (imp.). 1875
3886. Tea-pot. D. Modeled. Brown clay un-
3J in.
glazed. Characters incised. Kuritani (^iva^.). 1875
3885
3887*. Bowl. Saien (imp.).
The bowl is built up from a fragment which bears the impressed mark of Ninsei, said to
have been dug up on the site of Ninsei's oven.

SOSHIRO (Case 32)
Matsuke S6shir5 was the second son of Nishimura Sozen, the third generation of
the Zengoro family (see Cat. No. 3837): Hideyoshi, admiring the
superior quality of his pottery, endowed him with the high-sounding
title of Tenka-ichi Soshiro (first below heaven). The pottery is said
to date back to the early part of the seventeenth century, and exam-
ples of his work are extremely rare. After working in Kyoto for a
while he established an oven in Yedo, where he made the same kind
The
identified by
collection was
in the
single piece
of pottery.
ever, informed me that the pieces bearing the mark of Tenka-ichi IN
The present Yeiraku, how-
Ninagawa as an essay of his Yedo oven.
Soshiro were made in Kyoto, but as there are grounds for doubt,
3888
the piece will be catalogued here provisionally.
3888. AsH-BASiN. D. 6| in. Buff clay, smooth surface unglazed. Fret impressed around
rim. Tenka-ichi Soshiro (im^.). 1640
SOSABURO (Case 32)
This potter was a younger brother of Soshiro and a pupil of Sozen. His
work was of the same character as that of his brother, and objects with
the signature of Sosaburo are of great rarity.
3889. Jar-shaped incense-burner. H. 2-^ in. Fine light fawn clay, polished
surface, large black area on one side. Sosaburo (imp.). 1660 3889