A Rare Meiji Period Celadon Shuhai by First Generation Suwa Sozan
- Artist:
- First Generation Suwa Sozan
- Era:
- Meiji
- Price:
- $1,650
- Inquire:
- Contact gallery
- Similar artwork:
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A rare and unusual offering, here we have an exquisite celadon shuhai with Chinese styled patterning lining the inside of the cup. First generation Sozan gained notoriety during the Meiji period primarily for his faithful recreations of Southern Song Dynasty celadons that incorporated a luminous “kinuta” glaze. His motifs are fairly well-known and, having not seen this particular style previously, we took it to the current 4th generation Sozan to be certified. At first she agreed it was unlike anything known to have been made by her great-grandfather but handed it to her research assistant in Kanazawa who, several weeks later, was able to produce images of the original mold this piece was cast from. A solid addition to any collection of Meiji porcelains or Chinese inspired celadons.
Sozan (the first) was born in an area of what is known today as Ishikawa prefecture in 1851. After a short stint in the military he took up pottery design and started 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 like the one seen 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.
In fine antique condition, this piece is 2.6 inches in diameter (6.5cm) and stands 1.5 inches tall (3.7cm). It has Sozan’s stamp clearly impressed on the base and comes with a recently commissioned certification box by 4th generation Sozan. You can see an image of the original cast from over 100 years ago is included in the images. *** International shipping and insurance included in the price
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