Special Exhibition Commemorating the 3rd Anniversary of the Renewal: "Ninsei: Gold and Silver"
Special Exhibition "Ninsei: Gold and Silver" Video here (Youtube)
Click here for a video about the special exhibition "Ninsei: Gold and Silver" (Youtube)
Celebrating museum renewal anniversary NINSEI Silver and Gold Video here (YouTube)
The MOA Museum of Art will be holding a special exhibition, "Ninsei: Gold and Silver," to celebrate the third anniversary of its reopening. Nonomura Ninsei (dates of birth and death unknown) opened the Omuro kiln in front of the Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto around 1647. His pottery, renowned for its skillful wheel-throwing technique, gorgeous overglaze painting, and graceful form, was beloved by the nobles and samurai of the time. This exhibition traces the development of the Omuro kiln's style and showcases a wide variety of works, focusing on overglaze pottery, particularly those using gold and silver. The exhibition also features overglaze tea jars handed down through the Kyogoku family, along with folding screens and crafts that share the same designs, exploring their connections with painting and design.
Chapter 1: The Style of Sōwa and Ninsei
Ninsei's Omuro ware kiln is believed to have opened in front of the gates of Ninna-ji Temple around 1647 (the fourth year of the Shoho era). The tea master Kanamori Sowa (1584-1657) was the driving force behind this opening, and he remained closely involved with the kiln until his death in 1657 (the second year of the Meireki era). This exhibit showcases works that are thought to have been created during the first decade of Omuro ware, including tea caddies favored by Sowa, tea bowls copied from Korean ware, tea bowls with rust-painted designs, and early overglaze designs. It also showcases a collection of works that demonstrate Ninsei's precision in form and outstanding design, including bowls that make full use of openwork and water jars that display the ingenuity of the flowing glaze.
Brown glazed four-sided tea caddy, Takatsu Ancient Culture Hall
This tea caddy was turned into a cylindrical shape on a potter's wheel, then pressed into an oval shape on all four sides, resulting in slight bulges on all four sides. Brown glaze is applied on both sides, and a second layer of black glaze is applied around the neck. A line of black glaze flows down the front of the caddy, creating a beautiful landscape. The edges of the brown glaze rise and fall like mountains, creating a two-peaked mountain shape on the exposed clay, giving the caddy an exquisite design. The entry for March 25, 1648, in the Matsuya Hisashige Takai-ki (Records of Matsuya Hisashige and Other Events) reads, "It is of the Sowa cut shape, and is four-sided. It is said to be used for tea lunches in Shimano bags, and is a Ninnaji Yakito." This is thought to be the type of tea caddy. The bottom is a right-spinning thread-cut bottom with a small seal in the shape of a cocoon.
Seto-glazed tea caddy with a long shoulder-shaped caddy, inscription still in print, Nomura Museum of Art
Among Ninsei's tea caddies are some that are very tall and have a bulging, spindle-shaped body. The "Chiyairi Omuro Seitaka" described in the "Sōwa Menu" is thought to be this type of tea caddy. Made from well-elutriated clay, it has sharp shoulders and a single horizontal line carved into the body. Seto glaze is applied three times, from both sides and from above, and quail spots can be seen on the glaze surface. The exposed crimson color of the clay is beautiful. Although it is tall, the interior is only carved down to almost the bottom half, making the lower part heavy and stable. The tea caddy described as "akesoko" in the "Sōwa Menu" may refer to a type like this. The bottom is a clockwise rotating thread-cutting bottom and is stamped with a small seal. The box and lid are inscribed with the words "Omuro Seimei."
Seikado Bunko Art Museum Image Archive / DNPartcom
Goki Shasha Bowl Inscription Muichimono Seikado Bunko Museum of Art
It is a copy of a Goryeo tea bowl known as "Goki" that was produced on the Korean Peninsula, and is inscribed with the inscription "Nothing." It is confirmed in the "Kakkeiki" and other sources that copies of Goki were produced not only in Omuro ware but also in Awataguchi and Otowa ware of the same period. It has a clean, bowl-shaped form with a broad, flared foot, and red markings on both the inside and outside. There are four eye marks on the tatami mat, and a spiral-shaped carving within the foot, all of which are faithful reproductions of Goki. However, the bowl is not a perfect circle, but one side has been pressed flat, revealing Ninsei's originality. A curtain seal is stamped into the foot.
Important Cultural Property Tea bowl with daffodil design, Tenneiji Temple
This bowl was handed down to Tennei-ji Temple, the family temple of Sōwa and his mother, and comes with a donation letter from him (No. 9), suggesting it is an early example of Omuro ware. The shape, with the body tightened in the middle and the rim slightly inward, is typical of Sōwa's tastes and is often seen in Ninsei's tea bowls. Daffodils are painted under the glaze with rust-painted paint, but what is noteworthy is the raised white clay used to cover the flowers, stems, and leaves. The outlines of the white clay daffodils are particularly striking, as the rust-painted paint is blurred like blown ink. A small seal is stamped into the slightly small base.
Lily-shaped Mukazuke, Nezu Museum
This is a set of five mukozuke. A clay slab cut into a trident is placed on top of a six-petal lily-shaped mold, and three more petals are added to complete the shape. A crease is made in the center of each petal, and gosu is casually dotted at the tip, with a slightly darker layer of gosu over it. A small seal is stamped on the bottom, but as glaze remains on the seal and in the weave, it is thought that the entire piece was once glazed and the bottom was then wiped. The mukozuke referred to as "Omuro Yurihachi" and "Omuro Yurisara" in the "Souwa Tea Ceremony Book" are likely to be similar to this type of mukozuke.
Chapter 2: Development into gold, silver, and colored enamel
It is believed that gold- and color-painted pottery was produced at Omuro Kiln shortly after the kiln opened. Early color-painted pottery was limited to gold, blue, light blue, and red, but gradually developed into more vibrant designs incorporating silver, black, and green. This chapter focuses on color-painted incense containers and tea bowls, as well as large incense burners, flower vases, and water jars, all of which display unique aesthetic beauty, all decorated with gold and silver. These pieces are decorated using a variety of techniques, including a variety of colored paints, such as green, purple, yellow, and red, applied over a white glaze; gold and silver applied by pasting or firing; and black overglazes applied over a transparent glaze.
Important Cultural Property: Colorful Rimpo Incense Burner with Karma Design, Fujita Museum of Art
This incense burner has a wide opening, a bulging body, and a tapered hem. It is glazed from the opening to the hem, with a gold outline around the body, and features six alternating red and blue designs of esoteric Buddhist ritual implements, including the wheel of jewels and karma motifs. On the inside of the box's lid, Ninsei prayed for improvement in his craft, and after the completion of his prayers, it is inscribed that this is the portion dedicated to Anyoji Temple, Omuro-Ninna-ji Temple, and Mt. Makio. The clay is exposed from the hem to the bottom, and there is an inscription engraved on the bottom that reads, "Meireki 2, donated by Harima Nyudo, made by Ninsei, Uzuki." This is a valuable document that demonstrates that the color painting techniques at Omuro kiln were perfected in this year, approximately 10 years after the kiln was first opened.
Important Cultural Property Ninna-ji Flower Vase with Colored Paintings
This vase was handed down to Ninna-ji Temple, which had close ties to the Omuro kiln founded by Ninsei, and is thought to have been presented to the temple by Ninsei. Like antique bronzeware, it has a large opening, a turnip-shaped body, and high, open, mallet-shaped legs, with demon mask ears on either side of the body. The entire vase is glazed, but the glaze on the legs has been decoratively finished in a curtain-like pattern with varying heights. The body is bordered in gold and features a yoraku pattern with butterflies and swastikas in red, blue, and light blue. A large seal is stamped into the base.
Seikado Bunko Art Museum Image Archive / DNPartcom
Important Cultural Property: Conch Shell Incense Burner with Overglaze Painting, Seikado Bunko Art Museum
This incense burner, modeled after a conch shell, a traditional military signal, is highly acclaimed as one of Ninsei's finest sculptures. The Victoria and Albert Museum houses a similar incense burner, slightly smaller than this one, featuring a more realistic wave pattern in rust-painted finish. The wave pattern on this work is rendered in a colorful overglaze of gold, red, green, blue, purple, and yellow, creating a vibrant and eye-catching effect. However, the sculptural elements, such as the thinning and twisting of the veins, are even more realistic and refined than the rust-painted conch shell. The shell is joined in three sections, and kiln cracks have formed at the joints. There are three smoke vents at the top, each shaped like a wave. The dish-shaped base is unpainted except for the edges, and a small cocoon frame seal is stamped in the center of the bottom.
Colorful incense container, Nezu Museum
Buriburi is an abbreviation of "furi-furi mari-jo" (ball-hitting stick), a toy used to hit balls, which was displayed indoors during the New Year to ward off evil spirits. This incense container has the hammer part shaped like a hexahedron, and the hole where the stick would normally be inserted is red with a gold border, quince-shaped, and slightly recessed. The entire container is glazed, and is decorated with auspicious motifs such as pine, bamboo, crane, and turtle, as well as a flower-shaped diamond and tortoise shell pattern at the bottom and a jewel in the hexagonal shape at the end. The inside of the body is glazed in a vibrant green, and there are two small feet at the bottom. The inside of the lid and the middle of the bottom are bare earth, but traces of where the glaze had been wiped can be seen on the bottom, and a small seal has been stamped on it.
Colorful Hagoita Incense Container, Nomura Museum of Art
It is intricately overglaze painted in gold, red, green, and blue. It has cloud-shaped borders at the top and bottom, with a tortoiseshell flower pattern on the top and vertical stripes on the bottom, and in the centre is a Sagicho motif of three bamboo stalks tied with straw rope. The inside of both the body and lid are glazed in a vibrant greenish-blue colour. The bottom is bare, but there is still glaze remaining in places, and a small seal with a cocoon-shaped border is stamped on it. The box is inscribed with the words "Presented to Gentsuin by Aki-no-Ozen."
Colorful incense container with lovebirds, Yamato Bunkakan
Like No. 24, this incense holder is shaped like a mandarin duck, and the beak and feathers are intricately painted in rust-painted finish with red, blue, green, black, and gold overglazes. The interior, both the body and lid, are covered in green glaze. The inside of the head is hollow. The bottom is bare of earth and has no markings. It is said to have been a gift to the Konoe family, and in Konoe Iehiro's (1667-1739) "Kuwaiki," it is recorded that Ninsei's mandarin duck incense holder was used at the Kuchikiri tea ceremony in 1732 (the 17th year of the Kyoho era).
Important Cultural Property: Iroe Gold and Silver Diamond Design Tea Bowl, MOA Museum of Art
It is said to have been commissioned by Kanamori Sowa and made as a gift for Tofukumon'in. The bowls are nested, with one with a silver diamond design nested within another with a gold diamond design. The rim is bordered in gold and red, and the entire inside is coated with Ninsei's distinctive jet-black glaze. The exterior, while effectively leaving the white glaze base, is decorated with gold and silver diamond-shaped patterns bordered in red and a stylized lotus petal pattern, creating an innovative decoration. The small oval seal bearing the name "Ninsei" is stamped on the inside of the base.
Important Cultural Property: Iroe-e (colored enamel) rice bowl with scale and wave design, Kitamura Museum of Art
With a slightly tight body and a cradled rim, this is one of the tea bowls said to be in the Sowa style. The inside is covered with a milky white glaze, and on the outside, a green glaze is poured from the foot to the rim. This flowing glaze is natural looking but intentionally aims for a patterned effect, and is called kakekirite. The base is painted with eight rows of scales using green and blue overglaze, and the interior is also decorated with scales in gold. A small seal is stamped inside the thinly carved foot. Heirloom of the Mitsui family.
Important Art Object: Overglaze Tea Bowl with a Design of Musashino, Nezu Museum
This round, bowl-shaped tea bowl is painted with the so-called Musashino design, depicting pampas grass swaying in the autumn breeze under a full moon. It appears that silver lacquer was applied, leaving only the semicircle of the moon and the pampas grass, and then a transparent glaze was applied on top, resulting in an astonishing display of exquisite craftsmanship. The oxidized silver, rather than the shiny metallic silver, perfectly expresses the night sky. The pampas grass leaves are painted in blue and green, and the spikes in red, and the tips and leaves extend beyond the rim onto the inside of the bowl. A small seal is stamped into the thinly carved base.
Chapter 3 Paintings, Craft Designs, and Ninsei: Focusing on Kyogoku Family Teapots
This exhibition will introduce overglaze teapots, water jars, nail covers, and other items formerly owned by the Kyogoku family. These are valuable pieces whose production dates can be estimated from the Kyogoku family's tool book to around 1673, demonstrating Ninsei's overglaze techniques and production methods from the second half of the 17th century. The exhibition will also introduce folding screens, paintings, kosode (short sleeves), and lacquerware that share designs with the teapot, examining the ingenuity Ninsei employed to express these designs in three dimensions and the influence he received from works from his time or earlier.
National Treasure: Iroe-e Wisteria Design Teapot, MOA Museum of Art
The uniformly thinly carved true jar has a refined appearance and is said to be Ninsei's greatest masterpiece among his overglaze teapots. A milky white glaze is applied from the rim to the base of the jar, but it is even whiter slightly above the edge of the glaze, and a layer of white clay is applied to the base. Wisteria flowers hang radially from a spiraling red vine at the top, creating a seamless composition from any angle. The flower spikes are rendered in three colors: red with a gold border, silver with a red border, and purple with a red border, and each green leaf has its own vein. Some of the silver flower spikes have a brown smudge around the edges. The base of the jar is bare of earth, and a large seal in an oval frame is stamped on the inside of the flat bottom.
Image: TNM Image Archives
Important Cultural Property, Teapot with Moon and Plum Blossom Design, Overglaze Enamel, Tokyo National Museum
Although the wheel marks are somewhat pronounced, the rich bulge and tapered shape towards the base are beautiful. The entire piece is covered in a milky white glaze, but depending on the degree of firing of the base, there are reddish-white and bluish-white sides. From a cluster of Genji clouds at the bottom of the body, a thick trunk emerges at the top, extending to the upper right, with a silver-painted moon at the end of the branch placed between the two ears on the shoulder. On the other side, thin branches extend to the left and right, partially hidden by golden clouds surrounding the opening. If the silver when it was first completed was not oxidized and still shining white like it is today, it is likely that the decorative effect of arranging red and white plum blossoms on a single tree was intended. There is no record of the Kyogoku family's tool chief, but it is heard that it was bestowed by the Kyogoku family's chief retainer, Tago Etchu, by the feudal lord. A large seal is stamped on the left side of the flat base.
Important Cultural Property: Teapot with a Colorful Painting of Mount Yoshino, Fukuoka Art Museum
Among the overglaze teapots handed down through the Kyogoku family, this one is large and somewhat long-bodied. Its strong wheel marks, slightly rough surface due to the presence of crushed white jade, and uneven glaze throughout give it a somewhat crude impression. Several spatula marks run along the edge of the glaze, slightly above the base. The depiction of Mount Yoshino differs significantly on each side. One side features a densely painted green mountain dotted with gold and red, and outlined cherry blossoms. The other side features unframed gold and silver cherry blossoms on a gold, red, blue, and green mountain range without dots. Based on these points, Oka Yoshiko speculates that the original subject was a design in which cherry blossoms (Mount Yoshino) and autumn leaves (Mount Tatsuta) could be seen on both sides. The name "Ninsei" is inscribed on the bottom, but this is carved with a spatula, not a stamp.
Seikado Bunko Art Museum Image Archive / DNPartcom
Important Cultural Property: Teapot with a Colorful Painting of Mount Yoshino, Seikado Bunko Art Museum
Even among the tea jars handed down through the Kyogoku family, this one has a slightly more generous bulge to the sides. It shares the same design as No. 65, with a Uma-iro glaze from the rim to the base and cherry blossoms painted over a green mountain range. However, in this piece, the sky is surrounded by the so-called Ninsei black glaze, highlighting the gold Genji clouds around the rim. This piece has an even more enhanced maki-e feel than No. 67, which also uses a jet-black glaze. The cherry blossoms are painted in two colors: red with a gold border and silver with a red border, with subtle blue dots. While No. 65 features green mountains with dotted patterns, this piece features a small trunk painted in black glaze. The base of the jar from the waist down is reddish, and a large seal is stamped on the flat base, but it is unusual that it is stamped in the center.
Important Cultural Property: Teapot with a Colorful Painting of a Temple in the Mountains, Nezu Museum
It is the smallest of all the tea jars handed down through the Kyogoku family, and is shaped like a shoulder-shaped tea caddy, with three unusual lugs. It is coated with white glaze from the rim to the base, and is decorated with a spring scene of a mountain with a pavilion. It is the most artistic of Ninsei's overglaze tea jars, made possible by its tea caddy-shaped design, which is narrower in both height and depth than a shinko. The mountains and mist are clearly painted with careful application of white clay using a paintbrush or writing brush. The base is flat, and the large "Ninsei" seal is stamped within an oval frame.
Image: TNM Image Archives
Important Cultural Property: Colorful Peony Design Water Jar, Tokyo National Museum
Among Ninsei's overglaze water jars, several natsume-shaped ones like this one are known. This water jar corresponds to the "red-painted peony water jar" recorded in the Kyogoku family's treasure book, "Mango Sukidogu Goincho." There are windows on all four sides, and each features a different design of peonies, gold and silver, and red clouds, and green teeth. The area around the window is decorated with a flower diamond pattern in red, silver, and green. The top features a silver wave pattern on a red background, which runs around the opening. The large seal "Ninsei" is stamped on the inside of the bottom of the go bowl.