203 Gosu Underglaze-Blue Incense Box Depicting the Sumida River
Height: 3.7 cm; Mouth diameter: 4.3 × 4.3 cm; Base diameter: 3.1 cm
204 Gosu Underglaze-Blue Incense Box Depicting Zhou Maoshu
Height: 4.1 cm; Mouth diameter: 4.2 × 4.2 cm; Base diameter: 4.4 × 4.6 cm
205 Underglaze-painted incense container with knot design
Height: 3.4 cm; Mouth diameter: 3.7 × 6.4 cm; Base diameter: 4.6 × 7.3 cm
206 Underglaze-painted fan-shaped incense container
Height: 2.5 cm; Mouth diameter: 5.0 × 6.2 cm; Base diameter: 4.8 × 5.8 cm
All of these are imitations of incense burners found in the “Katamono Kōgō Banpaku” (Ranking of Shaped Incense Burners). The technique employed does not merely imitate the shape and patterns; meticulous attention has been paid to every detail, from the coloration of the blue-and-white glaze to the texture of the unglazed body.
Figure 203 depicts the Sumida River. The lid has low handles on all four corners, and the surface of the lid is decorated with fine brushwork depicting willows, flowing water, boats, and figures. The flat bottom and rim are left unglazed, while the rest of the surface is covered with a transparent glaze. The mark “Kawabashi Shiryū” is stamped in the center of the bottom, and the lid of the accompanying box is inscribed with “Sometsuke Sumidagawa Kōgō.”
Fig. 204 is a reproduction of a Zhou Maoshu incense container from Wuzhou. It faithfully reproduces not only the square shape with rounded corners and the design depicting Zhou Maoshu’s beloved lotus, but also the slightly grayish hue of the Wuzhou-style body. The footring is left exposed, and the “Kawabashi Shiryu” mark is stamped in the center of the footring; the lid of the accompanying box is inscribed with “Goshu-style Zhou Maoshu Incense Box.”
Although the lid of the box for Incense Box 205 is inscribed with “Somenuki Yuzo Incense Box,” it is a copy of the Gyokushō Incense Box mentioned in the Incense Box Catalog. The lid depicts landscapes, pavilions, and figures with delicate brushwork, and the somenuki glaze exhibits vivid colors. The exposed foot is stamped with the “Eiraku” mark.
Fig. 206: The front of this incense box lid is inscribed simply as “Somenuki Senshō Kōgō” (Underglaze Blue-and-White Fan-Shaped Incense Box). The lid features a small depiction of a plum tree and a moon, with the inscription “Hakubai Ittō Kō” (Fragrance of a Single White Plum Blossom) on the right side. The unglazed base bears the “Yongle” mark.
The undersides of the lids for all of these incense boxes are inscribed with “Inzen Gorō Zō” (Made by Inzen Gorō).
