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Source Description
Yohei IV chose an aquatic theme for this <em>mizusashi</em>. He applied clay to the surface and molded the shape of a large conch on one side and, on the other, a clam and a scallop. The finer details he incised into the surface of his low-relief shapes. He then painted seaweed as though it were coming out from behind the sea creatures, and he further set off the animals using a masking technique with a gradated blue surround. Finally, he applied a translucent blue glaze, identified on the box as <em>mizusai</em>, over the entire body of the vessel. The resulting effect is that one imagines having descended through the water to the ocean floor.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
448348
label
Lid for a Water Container with Shell and Seaweed
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
448348
contentType
object
title
Lid for a Water Container with Shell and Seaweed
description
Yohei IV chose an aquatic theme for this <em>mizusashi</em>. He applied clay to the surface and molded the shape of a large conch on one side and, on the other, a clam and a scallop. The finer details he incised into the surface of his low-relief shapes. He then painted seaweed as though it were coming out from behind the sea creatures, and he further set off the animals using a masking technique with a gradated blue surround. Finally, he applied a translucent blue glaze, identified on the box as <em>mizusai</em>, over the entire body of the vessel. The resulting effect is that one imagines having descended through the water to the ocean floor.
date
1914–46
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q117716978
creators
299426
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
cul
Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912) or Taishō period (1912–26)
accession
2022.212.b
Source extras
tec
lacquered wood
tombstone
Lid for a Water Container with Shell and Seaweed, 1914–46. Seifū Yohei IV (Japanese, 1872–1951). Lacquered wood. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of James and Christine Heusinger, 2022.212.b
collection
Japanese Art
didYouKnow
A <em>mizusashi</em>, water container, is an essential utensil for a tea ceremony.
citations
citation
Maezaki, Shinya and Sinéad Vilbar. <em>Colors of Kyoto: The Seifū Yohei Ceramic Studio</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 69, pp. 160–161
creditline
Gift of James and Christine Heusinger
updatedAt
2026-05-29 09:03:28.573000
sourceId
448348
dept
Japanese Art
coll
Japanese Art
med
lacquered wood
creatorTags
male
Asian (from 1900 to present)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
fce170612de8cc6f