Plate with Japanese court woman and birds

1710–30

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 201

The design of an elegant court woman in a garden is one of the few export motifs that is uniquely Japanese. This design was inspired by the fifth chapter of the famed Tale of Genji, in which the young protagonist peeks at a lady as she is releasing a bird from a cage. Written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu (ca. 973–1014), this novel recounts the life, tumultuous loves, and caddish behavior of Prince Genji.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Plate with Japanese court woman and birds
Date: 1710–30
Culture: Japanese, for European market
Medium: Hard-paste porcelain painted with colored enamels over transparent glaze (Hizen ware; Imari type)
Dimensions: Diameter: 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
Classification: Ceramics-Porcelain-Export
Credit Line: The Hans Syz Collection, Gift of Stephan B. Syz and John D. Syz, 1995
Object Number: 1995.268.139
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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Dish with Japanese court woman and birds, Hard-paste porcelain (Jingdezhen ware), Chinese with Dutch decoration — Dish with Japanese court woman and birds
Chinese with Dutch decoration
early 18th century, decoration ca. 1750

Plate with a vase of flowers, Hard-paste porcelain with colored enamels over transparent glaze and gilded (Hizen ware; Imari type), Japanese, for European market — Plate with a vase of flowers
Japanese, for European market
ca. 1770

Dish with rocks, flowers, and birds, Hard-paste porcelain with colored enamels under transparent glaze (Hizen ware; Imari type), Japanese, for European market — Dish with rocks, flowers, and birds
Japanese, for European market
1710–30

Saucer with butterflies, Hard-paste porcelain painted with colored enamels over transparent glaze (Hizen ware; Kakiemon type), Japanese, for European market — Saucer with butterflies
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ca. 1700–1710

Bottle with flowers of the four seasons, Hard-paste porcelain painted with colored enamels over transparent glaze (Hizen ware; Imari type), Japanese, for European, probably Dutch, market — Bottle with flowers of the four seasons
Japanese, for European, probably Dutch, market
ca. 1710

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