Height 7.9cm, Bowl diameter 38.4cm, Bottom diameter 22.3cm, Hakone Art Museum
This is a representative example of the Imari type, commonly called “Hyakkarakozu,” and there are few large bowls of this type. The Chinese character for “Kotobuki” (longevity) is framed in green and surrounded by a detailed design of Chinese children playing indoors. The color scheme of the overglaze painting, based on red and gold, is typical of this type of katagemono, and the brushwork of the Chinese children is quite precise. The outer surface is decorated on two sides with a frame pattern of juji characters, surrounded by a design of a Buddhist robe in the style of Jianjing gold brocade. The eight eye marks indicate that a unique design was devised based on the ancient red-painted gold brocade style.
