Chinese Ceramics of the Irie Masanobu Collection

The Museum has been fortunate to receive a series of generous donations by Mr. Irie Masanobu, a resident in Kyoto. His collection, compiled through many years, chiefly consists of Chinese wine vessels. It has a great significance in terms of covering a wide range of chronology, types and kilns, from the black ware from Dawenkou culture of the Neolithic period to the blue-and-white porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties. From the approximately 110 representative pieces selected for display, the exhibition will guide the audience to the world of Chinese ceramics cherished by the collector who reminds one a literati feasting on the containers of tasteful wine.

Information

Title:

Temporary Exhibition : "Chinese Ceramics of the Irie Masanobu Collection"

Dates:

Saturday, August 1 – Monday, November 23, 2009

Opening hours:

From 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Last admission: 4:30 PM)

Closed:

Mondays (except Sep. 21, Oct. 12 and Nov. 23), Thursday, Sep. 24, Tuesday, Oct. 13 and Wednesday, Nov. 4

Venue:

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka (Gallery D)

Organizer:

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka

Admission:

Adults 500 yen (400 yen)
University & high school students 300 yen (250 yen)

・All exhibitions can be viewed with the above admission.
・Prices in parenthesis are group discount rates for a party of 20 people or more.
・The following visitors are free of charge:
*Holders of Shintaishogaisha techo (Identification Booklet for the Physically Challenged), including one companion
*Senior citizens of Osaka City holding IDs including:
Kenko techo (Health Handbook) with a ‘crane’ mark
Keiro yutai joshasho (senior discount ID for public transportation)
*Junior-high school students and under

Number of items on display:

approximately 110

Also showing:

* In Commemoration of the “Aqua Metropolis Osaka 2009”
Temporary Exhibition: “Rediscover Osaka ― The Aqua Metropolis”
*Permanent exhibition:
Chinese and Korean Ceramics of the Ataka Collection
Korean ceramics of the Rhee Byung-Chang Collection
Japanese ceramics
Chinese Snuff Bottles of the Oki Shoichiro Collection

Inquiries:

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
Phone: 06-6223-0055
Fax : 06-6223-0057
URL : http://www.moco.or.jp

Jar, white porcelain

Tang dynasty, 8th century
h: 30.6cm、d: 31.0cm
Acc.No. 11592 (Gift of Mr. Irie Masanobu)


The production technique of white porcelain was achieved as early as in the Sui and Tang dynasties, becoming a popular item in the country.
It was produced chiefly at Xing and Ding kilns in Hebei Province and Gongyi kiln in Henan Province. The elegant feature typical of Tang white porcelain can be observed from this jar, such as the gentle, globular form and the warm glaze color. Recently, a lidded example similar to this piece was discovered at Gongyi Baihe kiln. Such full jars were often called “mannen-ko (perennial jar)” and some examples unearthed from tombs reveal traces of grain. The jar, therefore, was probably made for wishing the deceased not to starve in the afterlife.

Ewer with a chicken-headed spout

stoneware with black glaze
Deqing ware
Eastern Jin – Southern dynasty
4-5th century
h: 18.1cm、w: 11.5cm
Acc.No. 11588 (Gift of Mr. Irie Masanobu)


This ewer, known as “chicken-head ewer” has a spout in the shape of a chicken’s head, a wide dish-shaped mouth convenient for pouring in liquid and a handle in the shape of a dragon. Chicken-head ewers, first produced in South China especially at the Yue kiln, were chiefly celadon, while this piece is a stoneware covered with black glaze, often found in Deqing ware. These ewers became popular in the state of Wu of the Three Kingdoms period through the Southern dynasty, which later spread throughout China. Examples with a lead glaze and fired in low temperature were found in the northern region. The fact that chicken-head ewers are found in tombs and that the spouts of some examples are not hollowed and thus unable to pour out liquid suggest that they were mortuary vessels.

Stem cup

stoneware with iron painted design of chrysanthemum scrolls on a white background Huozhou ware
Yuan dynasty
13-14th century
h: 9.6cm、d: 7.8cm
Acc.No. 11742 (Gift of Mr. Irie Masanobu)


Stem cup was one of the popular vessel forms in the Yuan dynasty. The technique of covering the clay body with white slip onto which a design was painted in iron brown and then covered with a transparent glaze developed at the Cizhou kiln in Hebei Province. This technique diffused throughout the country. This piece is considered to have been produced at the Huozhou kiln in Shanxi Province. The Irie Collection includes a large number of Huozhou ware stem cups, which is one of the features of the Collection.