Accession Number
1954/1.503

Title
Sencha pitcher with stamped dragonfly design (pair w/ 1954/1.512)

Artist(s)
Seifū Yohei III

Object Creation Date
circa 1893-1914

Medium & Support
porcelain with clear glaze

Dimensions
2 1/16 in. x 3 1/16 in. x 4 5/8 in. ( 5.2 cm x 7.7 cm x 11.7 cm )

Credit Line
Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker

Label copy
Copies and Invention in East Asia (August 17, 2019 - January 5, 2020)
Among many new materials that Seifū Yohei III invented was a white porcelain clay he called Taihaku-ji (meaning “great white porcelain”). To create Taihaku-ji, he researched Chinese Dehua ware produced during the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), which was known for its thin body and milky-color glaze (4). Because of the high plasticity of the clay, Dehua ware was often used for religious sculptures and vessels with delicate low-relief decorations. He also studied the relief and incising techniques of elegant wares from imperial kilns of the Song dynasty (960–1279) (5). The small teapot and pitcher (2) are for sencha, the Chinesestyle tea ceremony in vogue among Japanese literati (artists who embraced the Chinese amateur-scholar artist tradition) in the nineteenth century. Yohei himself was a part of the literati circle in Kyoto, and accomplished at painting, calligraphy, and poetry. Knowing the taste of literati contributed to his great popularity among the intellectuals of the day.

One of the most famous ceramic artists working in Kyoto in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Seifû Yohei commanded an extraordinary range of techniques. Here, he has carved dragonflies —traditionally associated with summer—on the paper-thin body of a teapot and pitcher. (See also 1954/1.512.) The effect is of dragonflies pausing on the smooth surface of a pond, enjoying a momentary escape from summer’s heat. This exquisite teapot and pitcher are intended for serving gyokuro, or “jade green,” the most delicate kind of green tea. Boiling water is first poured into the pitcher and allowed to cool slightly, before being added to the tea leaves in the teapot.
Maribeth Graybill
“Four Seasons In Japanese Art”: Special Installation of Japanese Gallery at UMMA: Object Labels
July 5, 2003-January 4, 2004

Primary Object Classification
Ceramic

Primary Object Type
pitcher

Additional Object Classification(s)
Decorative Arts

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
pitchers (vessels)
porcelain (visual works)
tea (beverage)