A Celadon Suiteki Water Dropper by Imperial Court Artist Suwa Sozan
- Artist:
- Suwa Sozan
- Era:
- Meiji
- Price:
- SOLD
- Inquire:
- Contact gallery
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This peach-shaped suiteki (water dropper for calligraphy) is made of fine kinuta celadon from one of the great masters of the Meiji era—Suwa Sozan. A classic design, the peach is said to represent long-life for mortals and immortality for the gods in asian folklore. According to legend, the moon goddess—a powerful alchemist—can make an elixir from peaches that grow in the garden of the western paradise with miraculous revitalizing properties.
Suwa Sozan the first (1852—1922) was born in an area of what is known today as Ishikawa prefecture. After a short stint in the military he took up pottery design and painting under Touda Tokuji in 1873. From this point forward, he divided his time mainly between Kanazawa and Tokyo working at a number of kilns and research institutes. While in Tokyo, he made the acquaintance of famed conservator of Japanese art Ernest Francisco Fenollosa and the two became fast friends. In 1900 Sozan was invited to Kyoto to work at the Kinkozan kiln where he became noticed for his great skill in creating fine porcelain and celadon works. Several years later in 1907, he set up an independent porcelain and ceramics kiln on Gojo Zaka in Kyoto where he specialized in making a variety of porcelain pieces, most noted of which were his fine powdery-blue celadon pieces modeled after classic Chinese forms such as the water dropper featured here.
In 1917, Sozan was awarded the title of Teishitsu Gigei-in or Imperial Court Artist—what could be considered a precursor to the modern day Ningen Kokuho or National Living Treasure. His porcelains and meticulously detailed statuettes are held in the Imperial Collection, in the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum, in the Sumitomo Collection, and by a number of other museums and private collectors around the world.
In fine antique condition, this piece is 8.1 inches from spout to handle (20.5 cm) and stands 6 inches tall (15 cm). It is stamped on the base with Sozan’s Imperial Court seal and comes with its original signed and sealed wood box (tomobako).
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