Provenance
Unshū family
Recorded in
Senke Meibutsu-ki
Dimensions
Height: 3.2 cm
Mouth diameter: 8.2–8.5 cm
Foot diameter: 6.2–7.0 cm
Weight: 198 g
This incense container is shaped like a large wisteria fruit, crafted in a flat, rounded ceramic form.
The unglazed clay body has a rough texture, and the rough, unfinished carving around the lid joint is particularly interesting.
On a thin water-glaze, a white rabbit is depicted with black lines, surrounded by lightly painted wild grasses, giving the impression it might leap out at any moment.
Kōetsu’s ceramic works consist mostly of tea bowls; incense boxes are exceedingly rare, with only a few others known, such as the “Gourd” and “Deer.”
This incense box was among the treasured possessions of Matsudaira Fumai. One such piece (Kōetsu’s Black Gourd) is also recorded in the Senke Meibutsu-ki.
The author had the opportunity to view this piece over fifty years ago. Being young at the time, he could only admire it with reverence and regrets that he lacked the discernment to critique it then.
