Making Ceramics

Eiraku Hozen

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hozen, the eleventh-generation master of the Nishimura family, learned pottery techniques in Kyoto and produced tea utensils prized by the Sen family of tea masters. After 1827, he sealed his works as “Eiraku.” He produced a variety of fine-quality wares, most of them special orders, including blue-and-white porcelain, copies of Chinese porcelain, and Cochin-style (Kōchi ware) works with polychrome glazes. One of his signature techniques was the delicate application of overglaze gold patterns (kinrande) on red ground. Furthermore, Hozen made numerous copies of Ninsei ware. He was one of the most influential ceramists in Kyoto in the nineteenth century. An amateur painter, he created this series of six hanging scrolls (18.77.2–.7) depicting the process of ceramic production. Smoke billows from the fired kiln and more wood is fed into the firebox. An assistant approaches carrying a board with bowls ready for firing. In the background, a craftsman applies decoration with a brush.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art