Square Serving Dish

Late 16th century

Japan, Gifu Prefecture

Stoneware painted with underglaze iron brown (Mino ware, Shino type)

H. 3 x L. 8 3/4 x W. 8 1/2 in. (7.6 x 22.2 x 21.6 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.225

Whimsical patterns of half-wheels, grass, bamboo, and spiraling motifs adorn the surface of this square dish with rounded, scalloped edges. The iron pigment of the design normally turns deep brown but here appears light blue-gray under the thick, milky feldspar glaze -- one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Shino-type ceramics. Serving dishes like this were frequently used as part of a formal meal, or kaiseki, during a Japanese tea ceremony. Shino-style ceramics were manufactured in generous quantities during the early 17th century at technologically advanced kilns in the Mino region in west-central Japan, near Kyoto.