Page 59 - Christie's The Joseph Collection of Japanese Art

Nabeshima Ware as Gifts for the Tokugawa Shogun

Ohashi Koji, Director emeritus, Kyushu Ceramic Museum

In the history of Japanese ceramics, the closest to Chinese 20 choko [cups]. The same number of items was also presented
Imperial ware produced by an imperially run kiln for the court to the Dainagon, the successor to the Shogun. In addition,
(kanyo) would be Nabeshima ware. The ware was produced at around three types of tableware were also offered to each of
the kiln directly operated by the Nabeshima clan, rulers of the 35 to 41 high officials in the Shogunate, adding up to around
Saga Domain during the Edo period (1615-1868). Nabeshima 2,000 items. This was part of the duty that was imposed on the
ware was made primarily as gifts for the Tokugawa Shogun, Nabeshima clan under the gift-giving system. The difference
the ultimate ruler in Japan during Edo period. These gifts have between the items for the Shogun, and those for the high
their roots in the Battle of Sekigahara (1600) where Nabeshima officials and leaders of other domains has been partially revealed
Katsushige (1580-1657), later the first daimyo of Saga, sided through documents. According to the record, which records
against the Tokugawa faction and lost. Contrary to usual that the tenth Shogun Ieharu (1737-1786) requested twelve
practice, he was forgiven by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1553-1616), the designs in 1774, the Nabeshima ware presented to the shogun
victor of the battle. Katsushige made considerable effort to build had the reverse design of peony and karakusa (floral scroll) (lots
a strong relationship with Ieyasu and sent many gifts to the 48 and 49). Before 1774, the peony and karakusa design varied
Shogun and his household. depending on the size of the dishes. The common design of the
Katsushige sourced silk and porcelains from China, both highly cash motif was not used for the shogun household.
valued in Japan at that time, and offered them to the Shogun’s Primarily destined for tableware for use of the Shogun,
household. The recent excavation of Edo Castle, the residence Nabeshima ware was susceptible to his movements. In 1659,
of the Shogun, revealed that the main tableware used by the when Arita ware products were actively exported to Europe
Shogun was in fact porcelain from the Jingdezhen kilns mainly via the Dutch East India Company, the Nabeshima domain-
dating to the early 17th century. The Great Meireki Fire of 1657 run kiln moved from Arita to Okawachiyama in Imari. This
destroyed Edo Castle and many ceramics were discarded behind was to separate the domain-run kiln from other local privately
stonewalls when the residence was rebuilt. However, due to civil run kilns in Arita in order to protect the confidentiality of the
conflict in China, from 1644 for a number of decades only a technique and the designs of Nabeshima ware itself. Early works
small amount of Chinese ceramics were able to be imported into such as those in lots 48 and 49 were made in this kiln. In the
Japan. Instead, Arita ware from Hizen province was able to come 1690s, Nabeshima ware entered its peak at the time of the fifth
to the forefront of the porcelain trade by the 1640s to 1650s. Shogun Tsunayoshi (1646-1709). Having received the request
Sourcing the ceramic gifts suitable for the supreme ruler was a for even-higher quality ware by the Shogun, Nabeshima
serious issue and Katsushige pushed the Nabeshima clan’s kiln Mitsushige (1632-1700), the second daimyo of Saga, ordered the
in Arita to produce the highest quality porcelain. According domain-run kiln in Okawachiyama to push the quality to ever-
to an extant record, Katsushige showed the products made at higher levels and excellent craftsmen were brought over from
the kiln to the third Shogun Iemitsu at Edo Castle in 1651. In private kilns in Arita. As a result, Nabeshima ware became the
fact, a small amount of early Nabeshima ware was excavated highest quality ceramics with supremely refined designs. Wares
amongst the discarded ceramics from the Great Fire of 1657. from this period are called seiki Nabeshima [peak Nabeshima
These discarded wares reveal the fact that Nabeshima ware was ware] and are generally highly acclaimed (lots 43 and 47).
used in Edo Castle before 1657 and demonstrate which types of However, seiki Nabeshima came to an end in the 1720s on
tableware were employed. account of the financial reforms brought in by the eighth

One of the central systems that shored up the Tokugawa Shogun Yoshimune (1684-1751) who requested less extravagant
Shogunate’s centralised power in Edo was the sankin-kotai gifts. In response to the Shogun’s order not to make iro
[altenate attendance] system under which daimyo were forced [polychrome] Nabeshima ware, products decorated with three
to travel to Edo and reside there with their wives and children colour enamels disappeared and those decorated with a limited
to serve the Shogun. Only daimyo were allowed to return single colour, blue, became the main product (lots 44 and 45). In
to their domains on alternate years, leaving their family in 1774, as already discussed, the tenth Shogun Ieharu ordered 12
the city of Edo as virtual hostages. In addition, there was designs to his taste, and afterwards later Nabeshima ware were
another regimented system of ‘gift-giving’ in which daimyo fired up until the end of Edo period.
were required to present the Shogun with gifts such as local The Nabeshima clan of Saga Domain, in which the ceramic
products every year. Extant records record that only eight of production region Arita is located, produced special tableware for
approximately 300 daimyo presented ceramics as gifts to the the supreme rulers of Japan, namely, Nabeshima ware. Staking
Shogun’s household. the clan’s life blood, absorbing the high cost of production and
Tableware from the Nabeshima clan was the most significant disregarding economic concerns for almost 200 years under the
ware among such presents. The Nabeshima clan presented the Tokugawa Shogunate’s gift-giving system, the Nabeshima clan
Shogun with five types of tableware, a total of 82 items: two kept producing the tableware destined to be significant gifts with
hachi dishes (30cm. diam.), 20 ozara dishes (21cm. diam.), 20 precise, detailed and superior designs executed with a virtuosity
chuzara dishes (15cm. diam.), 20 kozara dishes (10cm. diam.) and that cannot be found in other private kilns in Japan.

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