Glazed Stoneware Dish By Ogata Kenzan. Japan, Early 18th Century.

An unusually shaped stoneware dish, consisting of two offset squares stacked on top of each other, covered with a white engobe beneath a crackled transparent glaze. The design, painted with iron oxide, depicts a budding Prunus branch accompanied by Chinese characters. This is likely a poem illustrated by the plum tree, along with the artist’s signature, “Kenzan Sei Sho.”

Kenzan’s signature varies slightly depending on the period or the artist’s mood. A few plates bear the same signature as ours: one is housed at the Miho Museum, another at the Kyoto National Museum. The vast majority of Kenzan’s plates are square or rectangular; the double-square shape is rare.

Good condition, with normal wear. A large chip on the inside, with no loss of material.

Made by Ogata Kenzan (1663–1743). Japan, Edo period, circa 1710–1730.

Length: approximately 20 cm.