Provenance
Yokoie Family
Dimensions
Height: 4.2 cm
Body Diameter: 4.1–5.8 cm
Weight: 70 g
Owner
Tokyo, Hatakeyama Memorial Museum
Auspicious Fragrance Boxes were originally commissioned from China according to Enshu’s preferences and crafted in Jingdezhen. They are gourd-shaped boxes with bean-shaped lids. Notable examples include the Bird-Finger Gourd, Horizontal Gourd, Standing Gourd, Pillow, Bean Man, Bean Lion, Lapis Lazuli Sparrow, and Ribbed Helmet.
All these are recorded in the ‘Enshū Inventory’ solely as underglaze blue porcelain. However, they came to be called Shōzui because Gorōdayū, the envoy for this order, remained in China, adopted the name Shōzui, and gained fame by producing numerous ceramics.
This horizontal melon, along with the incense containers mentioned earlier, were all exquisitely crafted in indigo blue on a white base. They became prized rarities that astonished the eyes of tea masters of the time and were highly prized.
The design, featuring a melon placed horizontally and connecting landscape paintings with circular patterns, is interesting, and the color scheme is also excellent.
Several pieces of this type, including standing melons, are appreciated by connoisseurs of unusual objects. Yet, the fact that they reflect Enshū’s taste remains largely unknown, likely because, as mentioned earlier, the Enshū family did not adopt the name Shōzui.
Shōzui Twin Pillows – Enshū’s Taste – Reference Piece
