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Yohei III was capable of ink painting–like compositions in underglaze blue, as well as more decorative ones like that on this set of three nesting bowls. Bowls with very similar designs in five colors were produced in the reign of the Wanli emperor (r. 1572–1620) during the Ming dynasty, and Yohei must have had direct access to one of these or to a close copy.<br><br>A scene of Daoist immortals is presented on the bowls. On each one, the ground plane is defined with a blue wash. Four lanterns are evenly spaced around the bowl. Two are flanked with linked-piece metalwork banners of the seven treasures. The alternate altars are adorned with textile banners. In between them are four immortals, each standing beneath a tree with small plants surrounding his feet. Two of the immortals hold fruit on a tray. Another carries an elixir-filled ewer and a willow branch. The fourth holds a swastika (<em>manji</em>), here an auspicious symbol, and a flower. <br><br>Curiously, the inscription inside each footring reads “Made by Seifu of Great Japan,” in emulation of the dynasty and reign inscriptions that appear on Chinese ceramics; but one can also see through the translucent glaze another inscription, “Seifu Yohei,” written in large characters within a double band of blue on the largest bowl.

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Page
1
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0
Type
photo
Media ID
380ff1c6045f2b54
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Document data

ID
519605
Core
obj
Type
object
DTO data
{
    "id": "519605",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Bowl from Nesting Bowls with Daoist Immortals",
    "description": "Yohei III was capable of ink painting–like compositions in underglaze blue, as well as more decorative ones like that on this set of three nesting bowls. Bowls with very similar designs in five colors were produced in the reign of the Wanli emperor (r. \u0018\u001e\u0016\u001d1572–1620\u0018\u001a\u001d\u001c) during the Ming dynasty, and Yohei must have had direct access to one of these or to a close copy.<br><br>A scene of Daoist immortals is presented on the bowls. On each one, the ground plane is defined with a blue wash. Four lanterns are evenly spaced around the bowl. Two are flanked with linked-piece metalwork banners of the seven treasures. The alternate altars are adorned with textile banners. In between them are four immortals, each standing beneath a tree with small plants surrounding his feet. Two of the immortals hold fruit on a tray. Another carries an elixir-filled ewer and a willow branch. The fourth holds a swastika (<em>manji</em>), here an auspicious symbol, and a flower. <br><br>Curiously, the inscription inside each footring reads “Made by Seifu of Great Japan,” in emulation\u000f of the dynasty and reign inscriptions that appear on Chinese ceramics; but one can also see through the translucent glaze another inscription, “Seifu Yohei,” written in large characters within a double band of blue on the largest bowl.",
    "date": "1893–1914",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.185.2",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "creators": [
        299428
    ],
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        "Ceramic"
    ],
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    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.185.2/2022.185.2_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.185.2/2022.185.2_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 9.6 x 22.3 cm (3 3/4 x 8 3/4 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)"
    ],
    "accession": "2022.185.2"
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
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    "localId": "519605",
    "label": "Bowl from Nesting Bowls with Daoist Immortals",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "object"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "519605",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Bowl from Nesting Bowls with Daoist Immortals",
    "description": "Yohei III was capable of ink painting–like compositions in underglaze blue, as well as more decorative ones like that on this set of three nesting bowls. Bowls with very similar designs in five colors were produced in the reign of the Wanli emperor (r. \u0018\u001e\u0016\u001d1572–1620\u0018\u001a\u001d\u001c) during the Ming dynasty, and Yohei must have had direct access to one of these or to a close copy.<br><br>A scene of Daoist immortals is presented on the bowls. On each one, the ground plane is defined with a blue wash. Four lanterns are evenly spaced around the bowl. Two are flanked with linked-piece metalwork banners of the seven treasures. The alternate altars are adorned with textile banners. In between them are four immortals, each standing beneath a tree with small plants surrounding his feet. Two of the immortals hold fruit on a tray. Another carries an elixir-filled ewer and a willow branch. The fourth holds a swastika (<em>manji</em>), here an auspicious symbol, and a flower. <br><br>Curiously, the inscription inside each footring reads “Made by Seifu of Great Japan,” in emulation\u000f of the dynasty and reign inscriptions that appear on Chinese ceramics; but one can also see through the translucent glaze another inscription, “Seifu Yohei,” written in large characters within a double band of blue on the largest bowl.",
    "date": "1893–1914",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.185.2",
    "rights": "CC0",
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        299428
    ],
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    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.185.2/2022.185.2_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.185.2/2022.185.2_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 9.6 x 22.3 cm (3 3/4 x 8 3/4 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)"
    ],
    "accession": "2022.185.2"
}
Document source extras
{
    "tec": "Middle bowl from a set of three bowls; porcelain with underglaze blue",
    "tombstone": "Bowl from Nesting Bowls with Daoist Immortals, 1893–1914. Seifū Yohei III (Japanese, 1851–1914). Middle bowl from a set of three bowls; porcelain with underglaze blue; overall: 9.6 x 22.3 cm (3 3/4 x 8 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of James and Christine Heusinger, 2022.185.2",
    "collection": "Japanese Art",
    "inscriptions": [
        {
            "inscription": "大日本清風造",
            "inscription_translation": "Each bowl's footring is inscribed \"Made by Seifu of Great Japan\" in emulation of the dynasty and reign inscriptions that appear on Chinese ceramics.",
            "sortorder": 1
        },
        {
            "inscription_translation": "There are inscriptions on the storage box and on both the interior and exterior of the storage box's lid.",
            "sortorder": 2
        }
    ],
    "didYouKnow": "In the bottom of each bowl is a scene of two robed immortals who appear to stand on a precipice in a mountainous landscape high in the clouds, with celestial orbs over their heads.",
    "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. 41, pp. 114–115"
        }
    ],
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.185.2",
    "creditline": "Gift of James and Christine Heusinger",
    "updatedAt": "2026-05-29 09:07:09.860000",
    "imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2022.185.2/2022.185.2_print.jpg",
    "sourceId": 519605,
    "dept": "Japanese Art",
    "coll": "Japanese Art",
    "med": "Middle bowl from a set of three bowls; porcelain with underglaze blue",
    "creatorTags": [
        "male",
        "Asian (from 1900 to present)"
    ],
    "thumbnail_url": null,
    "image_url": null
}
Page context
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