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Aoki Mokubei, born into a family of restaurateurs, was a potter, calligrapher, painter, and scholar, and is considered one of the three masters of later Edo period Kyoto ceramics. He specialized in porcelains fashioned after Chinese prototypes, and created works for steeped tea (sencha) such as these matching tea caddies decorated in an underglaze blue called sometsuke—literally “with applied dye.” He signed them on their bottoms. They also have intricately patterned silk sleeves to both beautify and protect them. On the exterior of the lid of the outer wooden box that contains them, it is written that Mokubei inscribed and painted an image on the box. On the interior of the lid, the signature and seals of a former owner are written. Mokubei has signed the lid of the inner box, and a charming ink and light color composition of West Lake in Hangzhou in China covers its three sides. On the fourth side is a long inscription by Mokubei describing the scene.
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- 1
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- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- a0a5499ba13a84ce
- Size
- unknown
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- ID
- 154665
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
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"title": "Tea Container with Plum Blossoms",
"description": "Aoki Mokubei, born into a family of restaurateurs, was a potter, calligrapher, painter, and scholar, and is considered one of the three masters of later Edo period Kyoto ceramics. He specialized in porcelains fashioned after Chinese prototypes, and created works for steeped tea (sencha) such as these matching tea caddies decorated in an underglaze blue called sometsuke—literally “with applied dye.” He signed them on their bottoms. They also have intricately patterned silk sleeves to both beautify and protect them. On the exterior of the lid of the outer wooden box that contains them, it is written that Mokubei inscribed and painted an image on the box. On the interior of the lid, the signature and seals of a former owner are written. Mokubei has signed the lid of the inner box, and a charming ink and light color composition of West Lake in Hangzhou in China covers its three sides. On the fourth side is a long inscription by Mokubei describing the scene.",
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"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 7.7 x 4.8 cm (3 1/16 x 1 7/8 in.)",
"cul": [
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Document identity
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"label": "Tea Container with Plum Blossoms",
"core": "obj",
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Document source metadata
{
"id": "154665",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Tea Container with Plum Blossoms",
"description": "Aoki Mokubei, born into a family of restaurateurs, was a potter, calligrapher, painter, and scholar, and is considered one of the three masters of later Edo period Kyoto ceramics. He specialized in porcelains fashioned after Chinese prototypes, and created works for steeped tea (sencha) such as these matching tea caddies decorated in an underglaze blue called sometsuke—literally “with applied dye.” He signed them on their bottoms. They also have intricately patterned silk sleeves to both beautify and protect them. On the exterior of the lid of the outer wooden box that contains them, it is written that Mokubei inscribed and painted an image on the box. On the interior of the lid, the signature and seals of a former owner are written. Mokubei has signed the lid of the inner box, and a charming ink and light color composition of West Lake in Hangzhou in China covers its three sides. On the fourth side is a long inscription by Mokubei describing the scene.",
"date": "early 1800s",
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Document source extras
{
"tec": "porcelain with underglaze blue",
"tombstone": "Tea Container with Plum Blossoms, early 1800s. Aoki Mokubei (Japanese, 1767–1833). Porcelain with underglaze blue; overall: 7.7 x 4.8 cm (3 1/16 x 1 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin, 1989.265.1",
"collection": "Japanese Art",
"inscriptions": [
{
"inscription": "signed \"Ro Mokubei\" on base in underglaze blue."
}
],
"citations": [
{
"citation": "<em>Catalogue of the Severance and Greta Millikin Collection</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1990.",
"page_number": "Reproduced: cat. no. 143, p. 22; Mentioned: p. 86"
}
],
"url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1989.265.1",
"creditline": "Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-29 08:00:08.691000",
"imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1989.265.1/1989.265.1_print.jpg",
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"dept": "Japanese Art",
"coll": "Japanese Art",
"med": "porcelain with underglaze blue",
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Page context
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