KO-KUTANI+

NABESHIMA
JAPANESE PORCELAIN FROM THE
MACDONALD COLLECTION

THE GARDINER MUSEUM OF CERAMIC ART

KO-KUTANI+
NABESHIMA

JAPANESE PORCELAIN FROM THE

MACDONALD COLLECTION

With essays by Daniel Chen

and Molly Anne Macdonald

GARDINER MUSEUM OF CERAMIC ART

 CONTENTS
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art
111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C7

The Macdonald Collection

Foreword © Sequoia Miller

A Brilliant Pursuit © Daniel Chen
Private Pleasures Revealed; Adventures in Search
of Imperfection © Molly Anne Macdonald
Photography © Toni Hafkenscheid, unless otherwise noted Foreword Sequoia Miller 9
Publication sponsor: The Macdonald Family Foundation

Editor: Sequoia Miller

Publication design: Nestor Golets, FolioCreative
A Brilliant Pursuit Daniel Chen 11
Publication coordinator: Christina MacDonald
Copy editor: Paula Sarson
Proofreader: Pamela Capraru Private Pleasures Revealed Molly Anne Macdonald 17
Printer: Flash Reproductions

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Adventures in Search of Imperfection Molly Anne Macdonald 23
Title: Ko-Kutani + Nabeshima:
Japanese porcelain from the Macdonald Collection
with essays by Daniel Chen and Molly Anne Macdonald
Ko-Kutani Porcelain 27
Other titles: Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima

Names: Nabeshima Porcelain 43

Container of (work): Chen, Daniel (1989 –), Brilliant Pursuit
Container of (work): Macdonald, Molly Anne (1928 – 2020), Private Pleasures

George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, publisher Acknowledgements 56

Identifiers:
Canadiana 20190222409
ISBN: 9781989519011 (softcover)
The Collectors and Authors 57
Subjects:
LCSH: Macdonald, Molly Anne — Art collections
LCSH: Macdonald, William A. (William Atwood) — Art collections
LCSH: Macdonald Collection (George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art)
LCSH: Nabeshima porcelain — Private collections — Ontario — Toronto
LCSH: Kutani porcelain — Private collections — Ontario — Toronto
LCSH: Porcelain, Japanese — To 1868
LCSH: Porcelain, Japanese — Edo period, 1600 –1868

Classification: LCC NK4567.2 .K65 2019 | DDC 738.0952 — dc23

Front and back covers: Nabeshima, cat. 18, Triangular Dish, Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century, 3.8 × 12.2 × 16.9 cm
Title page: Nabeshima, cat. 14, Dish with Woven Bamboo Design, Japan, Hizen, late 17th – early 18th century, 4 × 15 cm
This page: Ko-Kutani (detail), cat. 6, Dish with Bird and Flower, Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century, 3.4 × 19.8 cm
 FOREWORD
Sequoia Miller
CHIEF CURATOR, GARDINER MUSEUM OF CERAMIC ART

K
o-Kutani and Nabeshima porcelain are wondrous: highly ornamented, brightly
coloured, with distinct compositions that strike many as uniquely modern for
being 300 years old. Molly Anne and William (Bill) Macdonald have amassed
perhaps the finest collection of early Japanese porcelain in North America. As a result of
their generosity, the Gardiner Museum now stewards this collection and gratefully shares
it with broad audiences. The Macdonalds’ dedication and public-mindedness enable
many to enjoy and learn from these remarkable artworks.
This publication supplements Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo, the full-scale catalogue
of the Macdonald Collection published by the Museum in 2010. Since that time, the
Macdonalds have continued to collect, with an emphasis on the fine enamelled wares
of Japan made in the 17th century, known as Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima. The present
volume documents and expands understanding of these works with a newly commis-
sioned essay by Daniel Chen, former adjunct curator at the Gardiner.
This publication also seeks to highlight the perspectives and contributions of
Molly Anne Macdonald. As an active member of the Gardiner community for decades,
Molly Anne has contributed in critical ways to deepening our appreciation not only of
the Macdonald Collection but also of many areas of the Museum. Her two contributions
to this volume originated as an essay in the Gardiner’s volunteer newsletter and as a
lunchtime talk for Museum visitors, respectively. The essays remain in their original form
to foreground Molly Anne’s voice and to allow for a wider range of scholarship among
Museum publications.
Molly Anne Macdonald passed away as we were preparing this publication to
Cat. 3 celebrate the Macdonald Collection and her tireless support of the Museum. We at the
Waste Bowl (detail) Gardiner Museum deeply appreciate the Macdonalds’ dedication to the field, their
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century advocacy of the work of the Museum, and their spirit of generosity. This publication
15 x 21.9 cm celebrates these qualities, while sharing extraordinary historical works with the public.

9

Fig. 1
Nabeshima Naoshige (1538 –1618)
by Miura Shisan (?–1794)
The Nabeshima daimyo encouraged
the development of porcelain in
Arita to produce gifts of fealty to
the Tokugawa shogun
NABESHIMA HOUKOUKAI FOUNDATION
-
(HISTORICAL MUSEUM CHOKOKAN)
10
A BRILLIANT PURSUIT
Developments in Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima Porcelain
Daniel Chen
T
he Macdonald Collection demonstrates the wide range of porcelain styles
produced in 17th- and 18th-century Japan. The collection includes the Kakie­mon
style and its interpretation by various European manufactories, and reveals the
fascination Europeans had for Japanese porcelain painted with polychrome enamels.
The development of the overglaze enamel technique is first expressed in rare and early
examples of objects made for a domestic Japanese audience. Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima
porcelain, from their earliest experimentation to peak production, embody some of the
finest examples of overglaze enamelling and are represented in the Macdonald Collection.
This essay examines their origins and the delights of their splendour.
The Discovery and Appreciation of Porcelain in Japan
In Japan, the appreciation and consumption of porcelain can be traced to the use of
Chinese ceramics from the Kamakura period (1185 –1333).1 During the Muromachi
period (1392–1573), objects such as paintings and ceramics were selected and dis­­played
based on their quality for the Ashikaga shoguns. In a manuscript dated to 1476 of the
Kundaikan sōchōki (Record of Arrangements in the Shogunal Guest Hall), two sections
discuss which Chinese ceramics are suitable for a shogunal collection and how they
should be displayed.2 Thus, the consumption and appreciation of Chinese porcelain
among the Japanese elite was well established by the time Japanese porcelain was first
produced around the 1610s.3
A legendary Korean potter named Ri Sanpei (d. 1655) is credited with the discovery
of china clay in the Izumiyama Quarry, located in the Arita area of Hizen Province. He
may have been brought to Japan as a result of invasions of the Korean Peninsula between
1592 and 1598. These invasions were ordered by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi
(1536 –1598) in his ambition to conquer mainland China by first capturing the Korean
Peninsula. However, in 1598, Totoyomi’s death led to Japanese withdrawal from Korea
and a dispute over the governance of Japan, which he had intended to pass on to his son
Toyotomi Hideyori (1593 –1615). Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 –1616), an advisor to Toyotomi,
campaigned against this hereditary transfer, and in 1600 the Battle of Sekigahara was
fought between his army and Toyotomi loyalists, resulting in his victory.
Upon seizing power, the new Tokugawa shogun reorganized fiefdoms, rewarding his
allies and punishing his opponents. He created a new capital in Edo (present-day Tokyo)
11

and established his government administration, the bakufu,
which introduced the sankin kōtai, a system requiring daimyo
(feudal lords) to declare allegiance by adhering to a policy of
alternate residence between their home and the new capital.
Furthermore, daimyo were required to pay tribute to the shogun
under a system called reinen kenjô, where gifts were offered
through tsukinami kenjô or “presentation by month.”4
The daimyo Nabeshima Naoshige (1538–1618) (fig.1),
whose domain included access to the Nagasaki trade port, was
particularly keen to win the shogun’s favour. Under Toyotomi,
he had participated in the Korean invasions. In the Battle of
Sekigahara, he had fought against Tokugawa as a Toyotomi
loyalist. His initial gifts to the Tokugawa shogun included prized
Chinese porcelain coming through Nagasaki, but with the
gradual decline and collapse of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644),
it became difficult to acquire the goods necessary to demon-
strate his fealty. With the discovery of china clay in his domain,
kilns appeared quickly in Arita. The Nabeshima daimyo
encouraged the production of porcelain in Arita to create an
alternative to faltering Chinese imports. Over the following
decades, the kilns were organized around three geographic
areas referred to as: the uchiyama (inner kilns), sotoyama
Fig. 2 Dish with Grapevines
Japan, Hizen, early-mid-17th century, 2.9 x 21 cm
12
(outer kilns), and ōsotoyama (greater outer kilns) areas.5 The
designs of Chinese porcelain were eagerly adopted in the early
stage of Japanese porcelain production, as seen in the Shoki
Imari ware Dish with Grapevines (fig. 2). This early dish is finely
potted and shallow, with concentric bands of underglaze cobalt
blue filling the cavetto (interior curve) around a central design.
A dense diaper pattern is painted on the everted lip, following
the horror vacui style found on Chinese porcelain, covering the
surface with decoration.
In these first decades, kilns produced porcelain alongside
stoneware. In 1637, the next successor daimyo, Nabeshima
Katsushige (1580 –1657), restructured workshops, isolating
stoneware production from porcelain.6 Various kilns were
integrated to preserve the mountain forests and redistribute raw
resources necessary to sustaining kiln operations. Additionally,
inner kilns were taxed more heavily, but they benefited from
greater access to materials and commercial orders.7 This
reorganization of kilns, labour, and resources enabled greater
control of kiln operations, resulting in a marked increase in
quality of the inner kilns’ production over that of the outer
kilns. The introduction of Chinese tools and techniques in
Arita further enhanced the quality of production, leading to
thinner bodies and overglaze decoration.8
Ko-Kutani: The Introduction and Development
of Overglaze Enamels
The first successful production of overglaze enamel decoration
in Japan is attributed to Sakaida Kizaemon, otherwise known
as Kakiemon I (d. 1666). In the enamelling process, colour is
applied over an already fired and glazed ceramic body, then the
piece undergoes a second firing at lower temperatures. Accord-
ing to Kakiemon family documents, a merchant paid a Chinese
man in Nagasaki for instruction in the overglaze technique.
Kakiemon I was commissioned to experiment with it, success-
fully creating an overglaze product that “was brought to Nagasaki
and sold for the first time in 1647.”9  The record does not describe
its appearance, but archaeological excavations have unearthed
sherds that demonstrate the two general types of overglaze
enamel decoration with deep colours from the second half of
the 1640s: shonzui-de and gosai-de.10 Shonzui-de includes red
enamel outlines and typically three different colours, along with
the predominantly red akae style seen in the Double-Gourd
Flask (cat. 1). Gosai-de, or “five-colour type,” features decoration
with five colours outlined in black, as seen in the Dish with Bird
and Flower (cat. 3). These two types of ornament are part of
the Ko-Kutani or “old Kutani” style of overglaze porcelain,
which derives its name from the Kutani area, in Kaga domain
(present-day Ishikawa Prefecture).
The name Ko-Kutani reflects a long-standing theory that
these wares were made in the Kutani area; however, archaeo-
logical finds have challenged this attribution. Between 1972
and 1975, excavations of the Yanbeta kiln group in the outer
Arita area unearthed sherds similar to extant examples of
Ko-Kutani, which suggests that the ware was actually produced
in Hizen rather than Kaga.11 In 2015, further excavations in Arita
unearthed a muffle kiln, the type used to fire enamels, close to
the climbing kilns of the Yanbeta site.12 Excavations at Yanbeta
revealed several sherds decorated with overglaze enamel,
including those painted in the aode style. By the 1650s, the
enamel decoration at Yanbeta covered the entire body, featuring
a vibrant green for which this style is named, as seen in the Dish
with Fishing Nets (fig. 5).13 While the porcelain body in this outer
region was coarser compared to the finer, quality-controlled
wares produced in the inner Arita area, the decoration, as
demonstrated in this dish, is painted with bold lines and a
dominant deep-green colour to capture an energetic scene
of fishnets cast out to sea. This aode style of Ko-Kutani ware
disappeared soon after the establishment of the Akae machi, or
“overglaze enameller’s quarters,” in 1661. With the reorganization
Fig. 3 Dragon
Japan, Hizen, late 17th century, 18.3 x 12.3 x 13 cm
of labour, overglaze decoration became centralized in this part
of Arita, in response to the greater demand for porcelain.14
During the early period of experimentation with overglaze
enamelling, what is referred to as Ko-Kutani covers a wide
range of decorative approaches across kilns experiencing
varying degrees of domanial control and access to resources.
The variety of Ko-Kutani styles sets the foundation for the
development of overglaze wares, such as Kakiemon and
Nabeshima. For example, the Square Dish with Paulownia
Crests, bearing a mark on the reverse that reads “Jōō Nisai”
(1653) (cat. 12), was made at the Kusunokidani kiln operated
by Kakiemon I.15 This piece exemplifies the beginnings of the
characteristic brown-dressed rim and asymmetrical design
decorated in polychrome enamels, which Europeans came to
know and identify as prized “old Japan China,” or what we can
understand to be Kakiemon wares.16
Increasing global trade and a rise in European taste for
Japanese porcelain contributed greatly to the growth of the
industry. New shapes and the preference for bright colours
required technical innovation, resulting in objects made for
export, such as the Kakiemon Covered Bowl (fig. 5), brightly
painted with a bird among flowers and a continuous folding
screen along the bowl and cover. A refined body was achieved to
create a milky-white surface, providing contrast that enhanced
the bright enamel colours painted in delicate designs, as seen in
the Kakiemon Dish with Pines and Boats (fig. 4). Furthermore,
porcelain was realized in sophisticated and ambitious forms such
as the Kakiemon moulded figure of a Imaemon (fig. 3). Its teeth
are bared, its paw clutching a sacred pearl. Scales are impressed
along the sinuous white body, highlighted with overglaze enamels.
Zoomorphic figures like this would have been used domestically
in interiors and shrines but also found their way into European
collections.17 Trade with the Dutch brought exposure to new
materials, such as red and yellow ochre, which contributed to
the bright, clear enamels found in later decoration.18
Nabeshima
As the porcelain industry continued to develop in response to
both domestic and foreign needs, craftspeople expressed their
skill through innovative forms executed in Ko-Kutani styles. This
attracted the attention of the Nabeshima daimyo, who selected
the best artisans to produce Nabeshima porcelain for presenta-
tion to the shogun. After the Iwayagawachi kiln was established,
it was moved to Nangawara, and then officially to Okawachiyama
in 1675. However, scholar Kudō Yoshirō explains that the
13
Nippōsha-shita kiln in Okawachiyama was also started in the
second half of the 1650s.19 Thus, two theories of the location
and production of Nabeshima porcelain have now emerged:
First, that the Iwayagawachi kiln was begun in the second half
of the 1640s as the Official Nabeshima Kiln. The second theory
follows that the Official Kiln was only at Okawachiyama, and
that before the founding of the official kiln, Katsushige chose
at random presentation goods from various Arita kilns, which
did not have official designation, before the founding of the
official kiln. Either theory is acceptable, but if we examine
the year-long production at Okawachiyama, it appears that
the latter theory is more probably correct.20
To create presentable gifts for the shogun, the Nabeshima
daimyo encouraged the growth of the porcelain industry within
his domain. Characteristics associated with official Nabeshima
wares produced at Okawachiyama, including a high foot with
decoration to the foot rim, bright colours, and innovative designs,
can be found in varying degrees of quality across early enamelled
dishes of irregular form — a type once referred to as Matsugatani,
as it was believed they were made by a private kiln in the
Matsugatani village.21 For instance, in comparing the bodies of
the Ko-Kutani examples of the Double Leaf-Form Dish (cat. 8),
the Dish with Maple Leaf (cat. 13) presents a fine moulded body
void of impurities and stands on a high foot. The surface is
decorated using the sabi-yū technique found on Nabeshima
wares, where a rust-coloured iron glaze is used to paint an
Fig. 4 Dish with Pines and Boats
Japan, Hizen, late 17th century, 2.5 x 17.5 cm, G10.3.31
14
autumnal maple leaf, providing decorative contrast with
the white body and underglaze cobalt blue of birds in flight.22
A similarly shaped Nabeshima dish in the Imaemon Museum of
Ceramic Antiques, with a design of gentian applied with overglaze
enamels and underglaze blue, demonstrates how Ko-Kutani
techniques inspired Nabeshima wares.23 In the early Nabeshima
Triangular Dish (cat. 18), the classic Nabeshima characteristics
of a high foot, decoration along the foot rim in underglaze blue,
and a floral scroll on the reverse all demonstrate the superior
skill developed and applied to these wares. The enamel painting
sweeps across the surface in a delicate tension between ornament
and negative space. Clustered hexagons interspersed across the
surface add visual rhythm, where the hexagonal shape alludes
to the shell of a turtle, a symbol of longevity.24
After the final move to the Okawachiyama kiln, the
Nabeshima style experienced peak production, typified by more
consistent dish shapes and exclusive patterns skilfully expressed
through a variety of techniques, including open forms like the
Cup with Floral Design (cat. 23);25 works in underglaze cobalt
blue, as in the Dish with Bamboo (cat. 16); and notably with
bright enamels, as in the Dish with Woven Bamboo Design
(cat. 14).26 Here, a combination of underglaze blue in varying
tones and finely painted overglaze polychrome enamel decora-
tion create depth and textured intricacy. The pattern is also
described as bishamon, which refers to the Buddhist deity’s
woven textile armour. The dish is deeper compared with
earlier examples, and it stands on a high foot, making it ideal
for presentation as it is elevated for closer appreciation. The
reverse has a comb’s tooth pattern along the foot rim and a
floral scroll on the exterior. Nabeshima porcelain of this peak
period exhibits a high degree of technical skill and inventive-
ness, designed to visually stimulate and delight the shogun.
Conclusion
In the 18th century, China’s resurgence in the global porcelain
trade reduced commercial orders from Japan. Falling revenue
and an emphasis on producing superior Nabeshima wares
in greater quantities contributed to a gradual decline of quality
production and a shift in production at other kilns as the
industry’s best artisans were enlisted to produce Nabeshima
exclusively.27 Nabeshima wares saw a similar decline following
the Kyoho Reformation of 1726, which created new sumptuary
policies, including restrictions on the use of overglaze enamels
on porcelain.28  The scope of the Macdonald Collection offers the
opportunity to explore the development, use, and appreciation
of overglaze enamel decoration in Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima
wares. Archaeological excavations continue to provide further
understanding in the discussion and classification of Ko-Kutani
production as the foundation for Nabeshima wares — the apogee
of Japanese porcelain made for the shogun’s pleasure.
NOTES
1. Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, Vessels of Influence: China and the Birth of Porcelain in
Medieval and Early Modern Japan (London: Bloomsbury, 2012), 76.
2. Ibid., 82– 83. Rousmaniere discusses the role of the “guest hall companions,” their
background, and how through a ranking system they identify which Chinese
ceramics were appropriate for a shogunal collection.
3. Ibid., 135. Excavations initiated by Mikami Tsugio led to further excavations, which

revealed that porcelain and stoneware were being fired together in the 1610s.
4. Kōji Ōhashi, “Nabeshima, Hirado and Karatsu Presentation Wares for the Shogun and
His Family,” in Shōgunke kenjō no Nabeshima Hirado Karatsu: Seikōnaru Yakimono,
trans. Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere (Saga Kenritsu Kyūshū Tōji Bunkakan, 2012),
240 – 41.
5. Rousmaniere, Vessels, 37.
6. Kazuko Kanzaki, “Nabeshima Ware Produced in the Official Kiln,” in Imaemon:

Catalogue of Tradition and Innovation in Nabeshima Porcelain Decorated with
Overglaze Enamels by the Imaizumi Imaemon Family, ed. Masaaki Arakawa
(Tokyo: The Asahi Shimbun Company, 2017), 214.
7. Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, Kazari: Decoration and Display in Japan, 15th –19th

Centuries (New York: Japan Society, 2002), 149.
8. Kōji Ōhashi, “Positioning the Kakiemon Kiln within Hizen Porcelain: From the
Archaeological Perspective,” in Kakiemon: Uketsugareru Waza to Bi, Kyūshū
Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan (Dazaifu: Kyūshū Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan, 2015), 85.
Ōhashi reveals how archaeological surveys of kiln sites in Arita demonstrate a change
from Korean to Chinese techniques with the discovery of Chinese-style tools.
9. Ibid. Ōhashi discusses the recorded origins of overglaze enamelling, where a person
named Gosu Gonbei is mentioned as a collaborator. For further reference to the
Sakaida family document, see Chiaki Sakaida, “A History of the Kakiemon Kiln:
The Lives and Work of Fifteen Generations,” in Kakiemon: Uketsugareru Waza to Bi,
Kyūshū Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan (Dazaifu: Kyūshū Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan, 2015),
89. Sakaida discusses the Akae hajimari no oboe (The Record of the Origin
of Akae). See also Menno Fitski, Kakiemon Porcelain: A Handbook (Leiden: Leiden
University Press, 2011), 63.
10. Kōji Ōhashi, “New Discoveries on the Origin of Overglaze Enamel Decoration on

Japanese Porcelain,” in Influences and Inspirations: 400 Years of Japanese Porcelain,
ed. Patrick Hagglund (London: The English Ceramic Circle, 2018), 7.
11. Idemitsu Bijutsukan, “Searching for the Clue to Its Mystery: Summarie [sic] of
Chapters,” in Kokutani (Tokyo: Idemitsu Museum of Art, 2004), 226. See also
Rousmaniere, Vessels, 59 – 62, which discusses the Kaga research and connection to
Ko-Kutani wares traced through the revival of the style by the Yoshidaya kiln
constructed in 1824.
12. Ōhashi, “New Discoveries,” 2–3.
13. For another example, see Takigawa Hōseidō, Kokutani: Aode to Kozara (Ōsaka-shi:
Takigawa Hōseidō, 1974), pl. 21, 41.
Fig. 5 Covered Bowl
Japan, Hizen, late 17th century
16.2 x 22.9 cm
14. Oliver Impey, “The Trade in Japanese Porcelain,” in Porcelain for Palaces: The Fashion
for Japan in Europe 1650 –1750, ed. John Ayers et al. (London: Oriental Ceramics
Society, 1990), 19. Impey explains the sudden increase in foreign orders and the
struggle to complete production. This helps explain the need to reorganize labour.
15. Sakaida, “A History,” 89.
16. Patricia Ferguson, “ ‘Japan China’ Taste and Elite Ceramic Consumption in 18th-
Century England: Revisiting the Narrative,” in The Country House: Material Culture
and Consumption, ed. Jon Stobart and Andrew Hann (Swindon: Historic England,
2016), 119 –128. 120. Ferguson cites a scene from The History of Sir Charles
Grandison, written by Samuel Richardson (1689 –1761), where “a fine set of old Japan
china with brown edge” is identified.
17. Fitski, Kakiemon Porcelain, 56. Fitski discusses the special commission of a

Kakiemon-style shishi, made in 1693 for a Shinto shrine.
18. Ibid., 132 –33. Fitski mentions VOC (Dutch East India Company) records of samples
of red and yellow ochre shipped to Japan.
19. Yoshirō Kudō, Nabeshima (Tokyo: Ribun Shuppan, 2005), 205.
20. Ibid., 206.
21. For a discussion of the origins of the Matsugatani theory, see Motosuke Imaizumi,
Nabeshima (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1981). See also Oliver R. Impey,
Christiaan J. A. Jörg, and Charles Q. Mason, Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo: Japanese
Porcelain and Its Impact in Europe: The Macdonald Collection (Toronto: Gardiner
Museum and Douglas & McIntyre, 2009), 94.
22. Kōhei Kakizoe, “Techniques of Nabeshima Ware,” in Imaemon: Catalogue of Tradition
and Innovation in Nabeshima Porcelain Decorated with Overglaze Enamels by the
Imaizumi Imaemon Family, ed. Masaaki Arakawa (Tokyo: The Asahi Shimbun
Company, 2017), 219. The author provides the example of a Nabeshima dish with a
hemp-palm leaf design, which uses the sabi-yū technique (pl. 107, 131).
23. See Masaaki Arakawa, Imaemon: Catalogue of Tradition and Innovation in
Nabeshima Porcelain Decorated with Overglaze Enamels by the Imaizumi Imaemon
Family (Tokyo: The Asahi Shimbun Company, 2017), pl. 118, 168.
24. See Kudō, Nabeshima, 170, pl. 193, for a similar example in the Imari City collection.
25. Ibid., 189, pl. 229, for another example of floral karahana design on a wine cup. See
also Kōji Ōhashi, “Recent Discoveries from Archaeological Excavations at Edo Castle:
Re-examining Porcelain Made in Edo-Period Japan,” Transactions of the Oriental
Ceramic Society 78 (2013 –14), 29 –40. Ōhashi mentions the limited production of
Nabeshima small cups, or choku, where “these cups probably served as food dishes
(currently known as mukozuke).” (Ōhashi, “Recent,” 32).
26. Kudō, Nabeshima, 113, pl. 102, for a similar example in the Kurita Art Museum.
Another example can be found in the Baur Collection, Geneva (CB.CJ.1932.52).
27. Ōhashi, “Recent,” 36 –37. Ōhashi explains the need for higher-quality Nabeshima
wares and the increase in production instigated by the fifth shogun, Tsunayoshi
(reigned 1680 –1709), whose visits to daimyo required that they honour the shogun
with Nabeshima porcelain when they hosted him.
28. Kudō, Nabeshima, 217.
15

This essay is adapted from
a daytime lecture at the
Gardiner Museum, delivered
by Molly Anne Macdonald in
June 2010. Her conversational
tone is preserved to convey
the character of the occasion.
– Editor
Cat. 23
Cup with Floral Design
Japan, Hizen, c. 1680
5 x 8 cm
16
PRIVATE PLEASURES REVEALED
Molly Anne Macdonald
G
ood afternoon. My talk today is titled “Private Pleasures Revealed.” Over the
past weeks, I’ve noticed that this innocent information is likely to provoke a
naughty twinkle in the eye, a smirk, or even an outright leer from the person
asking. So, right at the start, I want to make it clear that you’re not going to hear any
titillating secrets from my private life. Not today. That’s for another Lunch and Learn.
What I want to show you instead is how, over a period of some hundred years, Japanese
artisans progressed from learning the secret of making porcelain to creating a body
of work that contains some of the world’s great porcelain treasures.
This outburst of creativity happened roughly between 1615 and 1720. Commercial
porcelain manufacture began in Arita, a town on the southwest island of Kyushu, at some
time between 1610 and 1620. Through the 17th century, Arita potters and decorators
produced many different styles of attractive ware, some with a greater, some a lesser
reflection of Japanese culture. I want to give you a look at seven of those styles and spend
more time on the Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima wares, which we don’t see as often in Canada.
All these dishes are rare, some extremely so. Those not in the exhibition can be seen in
the second-floor gallery.
Let’s begin by orienting ourselves to time and place. Cast your minds back to the
decade that began in 1610. It was an era of discovery and change. In Europe, the maritime
countries — Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, England —  had sent their sailors
out to explore the globe. Their discoveries kept the home countries busy building trade
and, where possible, establishing colonies in the new lands. For stay-at-homes, life was
enlivened by the exotic goods, knowledge, and amazing stories the ships brought back.
Here in Canada in 1615, Samuel de Champlain made his way up the Ottawa River to
Lake Nipissing, in the hopeful belief that he had found a quick and easy route to the riches
of China. China was the epitome of rich living for the rest of the world. However, by 1610,
its government was bankrupt and corrupt. In 1618, fierce Manchu warriors from the
north conquered a portion of northern China. By 1644, with the help of an uprising of
Chinese peasants and the backing of some of the Chinese army, they had taken effective
possession of much of the vast country, deposed the Ming dynasty, and installed their
own Qing emperor.
Nevertheless, for the next centuries, China remained an arbiter of taste for the artists
and craftsmen of Asia and Europe. Japanese potters initially used Korean techniques, but
it was usually a Chinese decorative style that they reproduced. No authoritative Japanese
account of the development of Japanese porcelain production exists. Its history has been
deduced from archaeological examination of sherds from the ruins of kilns and great
17
 Imari Nabeshima
Region
Arita
Okawachiyama Fish-Shaped Dish (see Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo, fig. 4)
U Here is an example of Zhangzhou ware from 1620 to 1640.
Nagasaki It was made to contain sweets or appetizers for the formal
H
S
kaiseki meal that might accompany the Zen Buddhist tea
U
KY
ceremony. Zen and the tea ceremony were major factors in
A stimulating the Japanese porcelain market. By 1620, after more
IDO
IN
A
KK than two centuries of political disorder and weak leadership,
HO
H
Japan was a unified country and had begun to prosper under a
C
strong shogun. A growing middle class made up of the samurai
warrior class  and merchants had money to spend on the
niceties of life. So did the monks in the wealthy Buddhist
monasteries.
This dish illustrates the mastery that Chinese kilns had
KO
achieved. The glaze is smooth and fits the body closely, so there
U
is no chipping or flaking. The somewhat complex moulded
H
RE
N
Kutani
S
N Edo (Tokyo) shape and appropriate decoration have been turned out with
O
A
H ease. Painted body details give vitality. To add interest and
Kyoto
A
texture, cobalt pigment has been blown onto the body through
a straw.
P
A It’s now generally accepted that 17th-century Ko-Kutani
Dish with Pair of Egrets (see Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo, fig. 18)
J ware was made in Arita. More than one workshop seems to
In contrast, here’s our first Japanese creation. It comes from
1630 –1640, in a style called Shoki Imari, or early Imari. It uses
PA C I F I C O C E A N the same technique of blown ink that we saw on the Chinese
fish, but there the similarity ends. Early on, Japanese clay was
not as stable as Chinese. Whether moulded or thrown, thin-sided
Fig. 6 Japanese archipelago in the 17th century dishes had a tendency to warp or crack in the kiln. Moulded
dishes like this, simple in form and heavily potted, were the
houses known to have burned down or been abandoned at a answer. The blown cobalt solution around the stencilled bodies
particular date. The records of the Dutch East India Company of the birds anchors the lightly sketched figures. There is plenty
and 18th-century European inventories have helped to estab- of negative space — the white — that suited Japanese taste.
lish when particular objects crossed the oceans. For me, cartoon-like as they are, the birds have personality, a
Japanese porcelain is very rarely dated or has the crafts- characteristic I find in animals and birds on Japanese ceramics.
person’s name or logo on it. Chinese reign marks inscribed The simple two-colour design accords with wabi, the Zen
on the underside conveyed an impression of sophistication Buddhist preference for restraint and austerity in their
and refinement, but they give no indication of the real date surroundings.
of production. Fortunately, the clay composition often leads
the experts to an assessment. Leaf-Form Dish (cat. 9)
Above, we see a map of the Japanese archipelago (fig. 6). This small dish, also moulded, comes from about 1650 and
The central island of Honshu is the location of Edo, the 17th- illustrates the increased complexity potters and decorators had
century name for Tokyo. The village of Kutani, which I shall mastered. It’s in an attractive style called Matsugatani, which
refer to, lies here. In Kyushu, I refer to Arita, Imari, and Nagasaki. was used for irregularly shaped, utterly charming small dishes
They lie in what was known then as Hizen Province. In China, that found their place in the kaiseki meal. The leaf shape has
the imperial kilns, which made the breathtaking Sung and Ming been decorated with a partial border of what looks like a thin
porcelains, were located at Jingdezhen. Middle-class patrons band of textile. Its sinuous shape adds vibrancy to the roundels
were attracted to less expensive wares, made in Zhangzhou, that are scattered in asymmetrical fashion over the white back-
in Fujian Province, and exported to Japan, Southeast Asia, ground. The roundels themselves enclose textile designs. As
and the Middle East from such ports as Amoy, along the Fujian the exhibition tells us, textile manufacture was an important
coast. Zhangzhou exports to Japan were specifically designed to Japanese industry. This small dish takes its design from the
appeal to Japanese tastes. Apparently, they never sold in China. Japanese aesthetic sensibility.
18
Leaf-Form Dish (cat. 9 verso)
Restrained as the decorator was on the upper side of the dish,
on the underside he let loose with this spray of vines, grapes,
and tendrils. The foot rim has the same comb design we’ll see
later on Nabeshima dishes.
Lozenge-Shaped Dish (cat. 10)
Around 1640, a new style of shape and decoration appeared. It
was called Ko-Kutani, or Old Kutani. Twenty-five or thirty years
ago, I might well have told you that the dish was made at the
village of Kutani, in the west of the central island of Honshu.
During the 19th century, porcelains that resembled this one
came out of the Kutani workshop. Archaeological digs starting
in 1972 discovered many sherds of similar ware in Arita but
none at Kutani, except in the ruins of a former home of the
Maeda clan chief. Clay, like wine, identifies its terroir. A recent
piece of research analyzed slivers of clay body from the under-
sides of twelve Ko-Kutani pieces. The clay was indisputably con-
firmed as coming from Arita.
have made this ware. Quality of the technical aspects differed,
as revealed by pinholes, surface dirt, and a buff or grey body.
The glory of Ko-Kutani lies in its use of rich enamels in unusual
colours. Many different sub-styles have been identified. Today
you’ll see Chinese-inspired compositions of landscape and
floral design examples of aode, or green, Kutani as well as this
geometric design. Ko-Kutani ware is said to have sold very well
to the samurai and wealthy merchants. This rare moulded dish
comes from about 1650. The sides show a stylized petal motif
covered in rich blue enamel. The well is decorated with waves
covered in bright green, against a background of stylized cross
shapes in black on a typically muddy yellow base. The rim has
been glazed in brown. The strong, smoothly applied, glassy
colours blend harmoniously.
Dish with Bird and Flower (cat. 6)
This dish, made in 1640 –1650, copies Chinese wucai, or five-
colour ware. The body has been covered in a thick white glaze
to imitate fine Ming ware. On top of that, we have blue, green,
yellow, red, and purple. The design shows a bird perched on
the stem of a flowering plant that grows beside a rock. These
elements are enclosed within a broad scalloped border of bright
blue decorated with a scroll in white relief. What puzzled me
initially is that the overall effect is feminine, not at all what I’d
expect to attract warriors and merchants, whose chosen occu-
pations suggest aggression. Then I looked more carefully at the
bird. For me, his colouring marks him as male. His stance is
alert, his head poised for efficient listening and watching, and
his half-open beak seems about to say, “Don’t even try it, buddy.”
Standing at the centre of this feminine dish, I see him asserting
the primacy of the male in 17th-century Japanese society.
Dish with Banana Leaf (cat. 4)
When I first saw this next dish, I had to suppress a gasp. I found
it ugly. Since then, I’ve realized that it’s a jolie laide, literally a
“pretty ugly.” This is the term applied in France to women who
have generally unattractive features — yet one exceptional feature,
or some quality of personality revealed in their faces, that makes
them beautiful at the same time. This dish has an overall decor-
ation of banana leaves growing from a thick stem, backed by
a pattern of what seem to be flower heads. They remind me of
the favourite pinwheel firecrackers of my youth, which made
a splendid show of noise and light for a small price. This is an
example of aode, or green, Kutani ware, made about 1650. It
has typical lush shades of black, green, aubergine, and muddy
yellow. The outer wall of the dish has been coated with a pale
turquoise that is given interest by a fine-lined black scroll. Again,
we are challenged by the unusual combination of masculine
and feminine that engages both the eye and the brain. This
astonishing colour combination delights me. So does the profile
of the dish, when it unexpectedly comes into my line of vision
(cat. 4 verso).
Dish with Landscape (cat. 2)
We’re looking here at a dish painted with a strong design. Made
between 1650 and 1670, it has a landscape in the well, and
the rim is decorated with four cartouches enclosing flowering
plants and a finely detailed diaper pattern in between. Diaper
work is said to have been particularly favoured in 17th-century
Japan. It consists of repeat patterns of geometric figures such as
squares, circles, lozenges, and waves. The landscape is in a style
popular in China for 300 years. Typically, it contains a frame for
a large fishnet, a thatched fisherman’s cottage, a scholar and his
servant crossing a bridge (no prize for guessing that the small
one is the servant), a steep cliff to the right with a remarkable
pine tree that grows straight out against all the odds, and more
of those unsettling Asian birds. These two are at least as big as
the scholar, and the one on the left looks like a dive bomber.
An unusual part of this dish is the mark found on the under-
side. It reads “Homare,” meaning “esteemed”;  contemporary
translation, “Awesome, man” (cat. 2 verso). The accolade was
inscribed on the dish before firing, which implies that it was
done by the artist, clearly a person of robust self-esteem.
Double-Gourd Flask (cat. 1)
The next two pieces are special to me. This twisted Double-Gourd
Flask, made between 1650 and 1660, is very rare. I don’t believe
I’ve ever seen another like it. It has the standard nine sides for
such a flask. What’s different is the way a cunning decor­­ator has
19
drawn graceful dianthus flowers and slim panels of diaper work
that curve around the sides as they spiral diagonally up the
length of the vessel.
At one time, this flask was part of the collection of Richard
de la Mare, a partner of the poet T. S. Eliot in establishing Faber &
Faber publishing house. Between the two world wars, de la Mare
put together a wonderful collection containing many rare and
unusual pieces of Asian ceramics. They were sold toward the
end of his life, apparently because of high death duties in
England after the Second World War. When this flask appeared
in a 1980 sale catalogue, it had already lost the best part of its
neck. After Bill and I bought it, I had the break levelled and
smoothed. I sometimes wonder how it would look if the missing
inch and a quarter were restored, but I love it the way it is.
Waste Bowl (cat. 3)
This brightly coloured Japanese waste bowl was used in the
tea ceremony to take dregs of cold tea. Dated 1650–1660, it was
inspired by a Chinese model. As in the flask, the paste is more
refined and more finely potted than the earlier Kutani pieces
we’ve looked at. The outside is decorated with panels of peony,
chrysanthemum, and diaper work in the form of waves and
tortoise shells. These were popular patterns in the 16th-century
reign of the Chinese emperor Jiajing, to whose reign this bowl
has been mendaciously credited on the flange. Above and below
these panels, we have many other design motifs in bright colours.
Clearly, the bowl was expensively made. It would have taken
the decorator an unusual amount of time to finish his work.
It’s a cheerful object to live with. We don’t have a dog or a cat,
so I look for it to welcome me when I return home.
At some time in the past, this waste bowl was badly broken
(cat. 3 interior). Evidently, it was highly valued, because it has
been glued together with gold and silver lacquer, made from the
sap of a plant related to our poison ivy. Gold or silver specks are
sifted into the liquid; the mixture holds broken objects together
and enhances them at the same time. It’s not unusual to come
upon Japanese ceramics where a sizable chip has been broken
off the rim and replaced with gold lacquer.
Dish with Banded Hedge
Over the period during which Ko-Kutani appeared, a contrasting
style, Arita ware, continued to develop, using softer colours and
designs than we’ve seen in the last seven images. This sophisti-
cated dish was made about 1660. Its simple design is depicted
in light blue and white against a rich blue ground, called ruri in
Japanese. One commentator has called this style “abstract.” I don’t
agree, because what we see are unmistakably hedges and snow.
Still, the hedges do seem to have cut loose from their moorings.
They appear to be floating off into the stratosphere, where you
might see Mary Poppins drifting by with her umbrella, or Dorothy
20
whizzing past on her way to Oz. The underside is garnished with
two floral sprays and a spurious mark of mid-15th-century
Chinese emperor Chenghua using Chinese characters.
Flask (see Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo, fig. 48)
This handsome flask, dated 1650, is Ko-Imari ware. It has the
same power to capture a viewer’s attention as the dish we’ve just
seen. The all-over pattern, bold decoration, and matte dark red
enamel differentiate it from other styles. Predominantly decor-
ated in red, with accents of green, turquoise, and yellow, the
bottle is painted with curving water plantain leaves and static
flowers against a finely striated background. A turquoise dot
border echoes the flower petals, striking a note of originality.
A group of red bands anchors the base of the flask, and the neck
is embellished with more abstract patterns. This decoration
demands a high level of competence, and again it would have
taken an unusual length of time, making the flask another
expensive piece of porcelain.
Dish with Bamboo (cat. 16)
This dish depicts bamboo leaves and branches surrounded by
mist. For me, it has aspects of abstract work, and I love its lyricism.
Made between 1680 and 1700, it is a relatively early example of
the elegant work of the Nabeshima kiln, which came into exis-
tence in a curious way. The Nabeshima family were the daimyo
of Hizen Province, which encompassed the centres of porcelain
manufacture and export. The family supported the Toyotomi
clan, headed by the shogun, the top authority in the country. In
the early 17th century, the Tokugawa clan seized the shogunate
after decisively defeating the Toyotomi in battle. This left the
opposing lords in a difficult position. They had an urgent need
to repair relations with the new shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Lord Nabeshima had an advantage over some of his fellow
Toyotomi loyalists. Nagasaki, the only port where the Chinese
could trade with Japan, was in his province. It was simple to
obtain the best possible pieces of Chinese porcelain as placating
gifts for Ieyasu. This was done, to the shogun’s pleasure. When
Chinese imports dropped off because of civil and military turmoil
in China, after the fall of the Ming dynasty, Lord Nabeshima
realized that gifts for the shogun would eventually become hard
to find. He therefore started his own factory, hiring the best
workmen and insisting on the highest standards in all phases of
production: a flawless porcelain body and enamels; top-quality
moulding and firing; and exceptional decoration, in patterns
that were usually restricted to Nabeshima.
At first, the workers copied Chinese dishes. Around 1650,
they began producing original work in the Japanese taste.
Initially, these pieces were made in the immediate Arita area
(Iwayagawachi). In 1675, to protect his secret techniques and
glaze formulae, Lord Nabeshima moved his kiln to the top of a
steep hill in the remote valley of Okawachi. When fired wares
emerged from the Okawachiyama kiln, only perfect pieces were
kept; those with flaws, however tiny, were smashed. These per-
fect objects were restricted to the shogun, aristocrats with official
status, and members of the Nabeshima family. Nabeshima is
still made today and still decorated by the Imaizumi family that
did the work in 1650.
This dish and the next two are decorated on the underside
with “cash,” a Chinese symbol of wealth, which consists of a
round coin with a square hole at the centre for fastening on a
string, like the one you see here (cat. 16 verso). The characteris-
tically high foot is decorated with a comb design.
Dish with Hydrangea (cat. 15)
The brushwood fence appears again in this dish from 1680 –1720.
Although it has polychrome enamel decoration in red, yellow,
green, and two shades of blue, the effect is subdued, still consis-
tent with wabi restraint. The serenity isn’t much disturbed by
the zigzag pattern formed by the hydrangea blossoms. These
dishes are all the smallest size, about four inches in diameter.
For me, the pleasure comes in holding them, feeling their light
weight, beautifully smooth glaze, and well-balanced bodies.
Dish with Camellia (cat. 22)
Yet another dish from the same time frame, this one is a little
different. The colours of the camellia and its background are
livelier, with more movement in the simple background design
of two panels of stylized waves, separated by a white band. The
usual shape has been altered to give a wider, flat rim to the plate.
When this dish arrived at our house, I was stimulated by its
difference. I consulted the internet on the symbolic meaning of
camellias in Japanese design. The story I found was satisfyingly
romantic. It seems that when camellia flowers wither, the entire
blossom drops to the ground. This has led to an association
between the camellia and brave samurai, who defend their
leaders with undaunted courage until death drops them to
the ground. When I consulted a knowledgeable Japanese friend,
he scoffed, “I’ve never heard that.” The lesson here is that if a
story is satisfyingly romantic, it’s unlikely to be true.
Moulded Jar Dish (cat. 17)
What better recipe can there be to make an irresistible small
Nabeshima dish than to mould it in the shape of three wine jars?
Each has a distinctive pattern; the central one is particularly
appealing and unusual. This dish also comes from 1680 to 1720.
It differs from the last three in having a lower foot. Like the other
Nabeshima dishes, it is Japanese in inspiration. Its similarity to
earlier Matsugatani dishes has inspired some scholars to specu-
late that the early Nabeshima factory hired potters and decora-
tors from workshops that produced Matsugatani ware.
All taste is personal. Each of you will have formed a judg-
ment about what you have seen and liked today — the simplicity
of the Shoki Imari, the boldness of the Ko-Kutani and Ko-Imari
pieces, the imaginative appeal of the Matsugatani and Arita
ware, the elegance of the Nabeshima. I am personally drawn to
the less perfect pieces. I’m not alone. The 18th-century French
essayist the duc de la Rochefoucauld famously wrote, “Some
beautiful things are more impressive when left imperfect
than when too highly finished.” Canadian architect Raymond
Moriyama remembers his Japanese grandfather telling him, “In
every endeavour, you must try for perfection like the full moon.”
He added, “For a mortal being, magical imperfection is more
meaningful, more humane, more beautiful.”1 That resonates
with me. Like the Zen Buddhists, I admire imperfection.
Dish with Pines and Boats (see fig. 4)
I could not speak about 17th-century Japanese porcelain
without showing an example of my first love, Kakiemon. This
dish, from 1680 to 1700, is said to be one of only two of this pat-
tern that exists today. It’s made special by two main features: the
white purity of the Nigoshide clay — no other Arita workshop
managed to wash away every trace of iron to achieve this — and
the unusual and attractive decoration. Here we have a marine
scene in which three small sailboats make their way past two
small pine-and maple-covered islands.
This is probably an affectionate depiction of Matsushima
Bay, a favourite scenic holiday spot for the Japanese. It seems
likely that the dish was made not for export, as much Kakiemon
ware was, but for the domestic market. It differs from the stan-
dard cheerful Kaki patterns that you can see in the second-floor
gallery, and that delighted northern Europe from 1660 to the
1720s. This dish has taken a small step on the way to being
abstract. It also shares the power to inspire happy day­­­­dreams.
It once belonged to Richard de la Mare. When Faber & Faber
published a book on Japanese porcelain, this dish decorated
the dust jacket.
Kakiemon began our collection. This Kaki image ends
my account of it. If you haven’t already done so, you can visit
the exhibition to see how these dishes fit in with other crafted
objects of the 17th century. Thank you.
NOTE
1. Lisa Rochon, “Honouring a Revered Canadian Architect,”
Globe and Mail, April 17, 2010.
21
 ADVENTURES IN SEARCH
OF IMPERFECTION
Prowling the antique shops of Kyoto’s famed
Shinmonzen-dori opened a winding path of discovery

Molly Anne Macdonald

W
hen Morihiro Hosokawa (b. 1938) has a group of his pots ready for firing,
he sets them on the floor and gives each one a kick. In this way, Hosokawa,
prime minister of Japan in 1993– 94 and now a potter, ensures that his work
will be imperfect. The Japanese people, he told the Financial Times, “find beauty in
imperfection.”1 Perfectly Canadian though we are, my husband, Bill, and I share that
perception. We have long loved 17th-century Japanese porcelain, in which imperfect
shapes, asymmetry, and hasty freehand decoration contrast with the careful design
and exact reproduction of contemporary Chinese wares.
In 1985, we found ourselves in Kyoto, Japan’s ancient city of temples and palaces.
On a Saturday morning, we set out on the momentous project of searching out a piece
of porcelain that would initiate a collection. We wanted to bring together examples of
17th-century Kakiemon-style export ware and the 18th-century European ceramics
whose form and decoration were inspired by it.
As our hunting ground, we chose the Kyoto branch of a long-established Tokyo
store that sold a variety of Japanese antiques. It was a large room, filled with stock. After
careful reconnaissance, we chose a simple Kakiemon dish offered at a price that wasn’t
alarming. Bill is a cautious descendant of penny-pinching Scots, so he decided that we
should think carefully on Sunday and reconsider the dish on Monday. The following day,
several major countries entered the Plaza Accord, whereby the value of the Japanese yen
rose in relation to the US dollar. When we returned to the shop on Monday, the price of
our dish had risen accordingly. Our suave salesman pointed this out, then asked, “Shall
we split the difference? I think that’s fair.” So did we. We all bowed, and the Macdonalds
became collectors (see Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo, fig. 83).
Sunset Lane (detail) The Kyoto shop where we made our first purchase was a Japanese version of a
Woodblock print western place of business. In contrast, Kyoto has retained some traditional shops that
by Katsuyuki Nishijima, have survived for several generations. We saw these on Shinmonzen-dori, the street
Japan, late 20th century renowned as the primary source for antique porcelain, where many businesses have
25.5 x 9 cm been operated by generations of the same family.

22 23
On one visit to Kyoto, I ventured into the slightly intimidating shop owned by
another scion of the porcelain trade. The proprietor, dressed in a kimono fit for
a samurai, contemplated the passing scene through half-closed eyes, looking
as though he was slowly being turned to stone by a combination of boredom
and distaste for the people with whom he was forced to do business.
Our favourite shop was a good example. The public area
was only an eighth, or even a tenth, the size of the more broadly
based branch store. Almost half the space was taken up by a
raised platform, where the proprietor, call him Shimizu-san, sat
behind a table about twelve inches high. A single vitrine sat in
the lower area. Typically, the bulk of its contents were designed
to appeal to casual visitors.
When we showed a deeper interest in the porcelain,
the proprietor would rise and fetch more interesting — and
expensive — pieces from behind a curtain that closed off the
back of the premises. Bowls of green tea would appear, to be
enjoyed as we discussed the superior qualities of the new
pieces. As time went on, ever more interesting and expensive
objects were forthcoming. Shimizu-san enjoyed instructing us,
and we loved his devoted absorption in his trade.
Kakiemon is not for everyone. After we had put together
about 25 pieces, a long-time friend dropped by our house. She
is a porcelain lover and has a pretty collection of English ware.
Beaming fatuously, no doubt, I led her to admire our Kakiemon
treasures. Without pausing to give me a sympathetic smile, she
bent a stern eye on me. “This is all junk,” she told me firmly.
“You should get rid of it and collect Chinese [ceramics].” No one
had told her that the best 17th-century Japanese porcelain is
considered among the finest in world history.
Clearly, imperfection was not for this lady. In fact, 17th-
century Kakiemon ware was not well known or appreciated in
mid-20th-century Japan. In about 1972, Oliver Impey (1936–
2005), curator of Japanese art at the Ashmolean Museum in
Oxford, took photographs of both polychrome and blue and
white dishes from English country houses to show to Japanese
people working in porcelain manufacture or trade. Several
dealers advised him that these were Chinese wares made in
Fujian Province. Chinese porcelain, with its high technical
standards and careful decoration, was prized in the United
Kingdom and Europe. Nevertheless, a love of 17th-century
Kakiemon lived on among a small group of ardent admirers,
several of whose collections are now housed in museums.
24
Deaf to our friend’s advice, we continued to purchase
Japanese objects. As the years passed, we managed to put
together a fine representation of Kakiemon and related European
ware. That done, my eyes started to wander toward the early
blue and white ceramics from the 1620s and 1630s called Shoki
Imari. On another of our annual visits to Kyoto, I ventured into
the slightly intimidating shop owned by another scion of the
porcelain trade. It was roughly five times the size of Mr. Shimizu’s
store. The owner’s platform took up almost a quarter of the
space. In its far corner sat the proprietor on his knees, dressed
in a kimono fit for a samurai and contemplating the passing
scene through half-closed eyes. He looked as though he was
slowly being turned to stone by a combination of boredom
and distaste for the people with whom he was forced to do
business. An assistant dealt with the general public.
When I entered, I faced a vitrine that was almost six feet
tall. On the top shelf was a small blue and white food dish
decorated with freehand drawings of trees and flowers. It
was unlike anything I had ever seen. A group of wives from
a medical convention had taken temporary possession of the
premises. As soon as I could get the assistant’s attention, I asked
to see the dish. He led me to a seat on the platform and brought
it to my hand. It must have become obvious, over the next few
minutes, that I had questions to be answered. Suddenly, the
owner appeared at my elbow, lively and charming. He gave me
the information I wanted and showed me the same dish in a
museum catalogue. It was Shoki Imari, from around 1620, the
first decade of production. After buying it, we actively looked
for more Shoki Imari (see Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo, fig. 14).
Deeper Explorations into the Heart of Japanese Porcelain
At about this time, we visited the town of Arita on the island of
Kyushu, the centre of Japanese porcelain manufacture. While
we were there, a Japanese friend obtained an invitation for us to
visit a private collection. It was housed in a somewhat down-at-
the-heels commercial building. As we moved from the first to
the second of three cabinets, our friend suddenly made a
strangled noise. When I looked at him, he resembled a hunting
dog on point. “That dish,” he gasped, “it belongs to my father.”
He went on to tell us that 20 years before, his father had
belonged to a collectors’ society. For one meeting, every
member was asked to bring an unusual object to discuss. At the
evening’s end, his father’s unique dish had disappeared and had
never been seen since.
A visit to the collector and author Motosuke Imaizumi
(1906 – ? ), at his home in Tokyo, planted a seed for further
expansion of our collection. In the 17th century, the province
in which Arita was located was called Hizen. When its porcelain
achieved a quality that conferred commercial potential, Lord
Nabeshima of Hizen (Nabeshima Katsushige, 1580–1657) took
control of the business. An eleven-member group of enamellers
was assembled and put under the direction of the Imaizumi
family. Ever since, successive eldest sons have decorated
Nabeshima porcelain.
Motosuke Imaizumi, a younger son, moved to Tokyo to
study and write about 17th-century Arita wares and to amass
a unique collection of unusual examples. It was an honour to
meet this lovable man. He had recently had a stay in hospital,
so we were asked to keep our visit short. That wasn’t the way
Imaizumi-san wanted it. He yearned to display his treasures and
his knowledge. His small, elfin figure darted about his porcelain
room, fetching favourite pieces from the cupboards beneath
display shelves. Out would come a bag of the type used for
whisky. Elaborate untying of the knotted cord would ensue and
a wooden box would be revealed. The grosgrain ribbon around
the box also required untying before another rare and valuable
object could be shown to our admiring gaze. “Only two in world.
I have one,” he would say with a triumphant grin. On a couple of
heady occasions, he possessed two of only three in the world.
It was as though we had followed Alice down the rabbit
hole to an enchanted land. Imaizumi-san wanted the pleasure
of showing us every one of his treasures. He and I were delighted
to discover that we both liked the contemporary studio ceramics
of Kanjiro Kawai, examples of whose work sat on an open shelf.
Beside them were plates and bowls in the mid-17th-century
Ko-Kutani style. Imaizumi-san likened Kawai’s bold patterns
and colours to those found on Ko-Kutani pots. From that moment,
I secretly yearned for Ko-Kutani representation in our collection.
That dream came true years later with the help of an English
dealer, one of only two foreigners allowed to enter the quarterly
ceramic auctions held for Japanese dealers.
Before our wish for Ko-Kutani was granted, we moved on
to Nabeshima, the expensive ware that was made for the private
use of the Nabeshima family or as gifts for the shogun and other
top officials. Bill and I were in London and decided to drop in on
a dealer friend. His stock consisted primarily of Japanese screens
and wooden, metal, and ivory objects from the 19th century.
“I have something to show you,” he said that day. It turned out
to be a Nabeshima dish decorated with a design of hydrangeas
(cat. 15). “My brother is an insurance adjuster,” our friend told
us. “His company paid when this dish was broken at the Royal
Ontario Museum in Toronto. The company had had the dish
repaired, and he brought it round to me, hoping I could do
something with it.” We were delighted to help the brothers out
at the agreeable price that a badly broken dish commands, even
when the break has been expertly rendered invisible.
The Journey for Imperfection Ever Widens
In our collecting life, imperfection has occasionally spread
from Japanese wares to the British and European. A 14-inch
hexagonal jar with an experimental Kakiemon decorative pattern
is a good example (see Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo, fig. 97).
We saw it in the catalogue for a London auction of non-museum-
quality pieces. It was described as a Samson jar with a lid that
carried a Meissen mark. To the horror of dealers and curators,
Bill had an affection for wares created at the French Samson
factory from the late 19th century until the First World War.
After our London dealer had taken a look at the lot, he phoned
in excitement. “I think the jar is Meissen, too, but it’s priced as
Samson.” He bid for us, and the jar became ours.
Meissen jars decorated in this way are very rare. Our dealer
knew that an example was to be found in the Sèvres National
Ceramics Museum. The following week, he was in Paris and
went to Sèvres to compare details of our piece with the proven
one. At the museum, he described the jar and was told by an
embarrassed curator that it had disappeared two or three years
earlier; that avenue to validation was blocked. Some months
later, Meredith Chilton, chief curator at the Gardiner Museum,
had a visit from the leading German porcelain dealer. At her
request, I brought our Meissen/Samson jar to the Gardiner for
him to vet. A man of severe demeanour, he examined the piece
minutely and pronounced it undoubtedly Meissen in both body
and lid. It was an imperfect example of a perfect creation.
Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama told the Globe and
Mail that as a child he was urged by his Japanese grandfather to
emulate the perfection of the moon in his life’s work.2 Then the
grandfather added, “For a mortal being, magical imperfection
is more meaningful, more humane, more beautiful” than
perfection. Bill and I agree, and that has given us many hours
of perfect pleasure in building and caring for our collection.
2011
NOTES
1. David Pilling, “Pottery with the FT: Morihiro Hosokawa,”
Financial Times, May 13, 2011.
2. Lisa Rochon, “Honouring a Revered Canadian Architect,”
Globe and Mail, April 17, 2010.
25
KO-KUTANI
Cat. 1
Double-Gourd Flask
Japan, Hizen,
mid-17th century
16.2 x 8.1 cm

29
Cat. 2 Cat. 3
Dish with Landscape Waste Bowl
Japan, Hizen, mid-late 17th century Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
5.5 x 25.5 cm 15 x 21.9 cm
Mark: indistinct mark within
a circle in iron red

30 31
Cat. 4
Dish with Banana Leaf
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
4.5 x 24.2 cm
Mark: fuku mark in black enamel
Cat. 5
Dish with Fishing Nets
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
3 x 20.7 cm
Mark: fuku mark in green enamel

32 33
Cat. 6
Dish with Bird and Flower
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
3.4 x 19.8 cm
Cat. 7
Dish with Three Leaves
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century, possibly modern
3.8 x 23.6 cm
Mark: fuku mark in green and black enamel

34 35
Cat. 8 Cat. 9
Double Leaf-Form Dish Leaf-Form Dish
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
2.7 x 12.2 x 15.3 cm 3.2 x 14.5 x 16.9 cm

36 37
Cat. 10
Lozenge-Shaped Dish
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
2.9 x 10.8 x 15.2 cm
38
Cat. 11
Lozenge-Shaped Dish with Peacock
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
2.9 x 10.2 x 16 cm
Mark: square mark in green enamel
39
Cat. 12
Square Dish with Paulownia Crests
Japan, Hizen, dated 1653
2.5 x 14.6 x 14.6 cm
Mark: dated in Japanese

Cat. 13
Dish with Maple Leaf
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
2.8 x 10.3 x 14.4 cm

40 41
NABESHIMA
Cat. 14
Dish with
Woven Bamboo Design
Japan, Hizen, late 17th–
early 18th century
4 x 15 cm

45
Cat. 15 Cat. 16
Dish with Hydrangea Dish with Bamboo
Japan, Hizen, late 17th century Japan, Hizen, late 17th – early 18th century
4.4 x 14.8 cm 4.4 x 14.8 cm

46 47
Cat. 17
Moulded Jar Dish
Japan, Hizen, late 17th century
4 x 14 x 11 cm
Cat. 18
Triangular Dish
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
3.8 x 12.2 x 16.9 cm

48 49
Cat. 19 Cat. 20
Dish with Impressed Pattern Dish with Gourd
Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century
2.5 x 12 x 16 cm 0.9 x 17.9 x 14 cm
G11.13.6

50 51
Cat. 21 Cat. 22
Dish with Floral Design Dish with Camellia
Japan, Hizen, Japan, Hizen,
late 17th – early 18th century late 17th – early 18th century
5.7 x 19.7 cm 4.4 x 15.3 cm

52 53
Cat. 23
Cup with Floral Design
Japan, Hizen, late 17th–early 18th century
5 x 8 cm

54
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We owe our greatest debt of gratitude to Molly Anne and
Bill Macdonald for their generosity, vision, and stewardship of a
remarkable collection. It is only through these qualities that the
Gardiner Museum is able to share such treasured works with
the public. Thanks are due again to Molly Anne Macdonald for
her years of work at the Gardiner, including her original essays
included here.
Thanks to Daniel Chen for his well-informed contribution to
this book, his thoughtful engagement with the Macdonalds
on their collection, and his work on the reinstallation of the
Macdonald Gallery of Japanese Porcelain and Its Influence
at the Museum.
We are grateful to Nestor Golets for his exquisite design,
enhancing and foregrounding the beauty of the collection
in an attractive, accessible format.
Thanks to Christina MacDonald for deftly and graciously
coordinating the publication.
Our gratitude also to Paula Sarson for copy editing, and to
Pamela Capraru for proofreading.
Thanks to the Nabeshima Houkoukai Foundation, Historical
Museum Cho-kokan, for permission to use the painting of
Nabeshima Naoshige, with the assistance of Akiyama Akiko.
Many thanks to artist Katsuyuki Nishijima for permission
to use his woodblock print, courtesy of Sakura Fine Art.
Thanks, finally, to the artisans of long ago who made these
objects, before which we still stand with awe and fascination.
56
THE COLLECTORS
Molly Anne and Bill Macdonald
Molly Anne and Bill Macdonald were
married for 68 years, residing in Toronto.
They began collecting Japanese ceramics
in 1985. This endeavour soon became a
passion, one facilitated by frequent trips to
Japan, on account of Bill’s work as a lawyer
and an economic advisor. Their collection
was featured at the Gardiner Museum in
a 2010 exhibit titled Private Pleasures,
and is on long-term view in the Museum’s
Macdonald Gallery of Japanese Porcelain
and Its Influence.
Molly Anne was long active at the Gardiner. She was one of the first museum docents
in 1984, and later served among the leadership of the Gardiner Volunteer Committee
and the Museum’s Board of Directors. She helped to organize the first Joy of Ceramics
benefit luncheon, and she served as the co-chair of the Publication Committee, whose
work contributed to the realization of the award-winning book Harlequin Unmasked:
The Commedia dell’Arte and Porcelain Sculpture (2001), by Meredith Chilton. In 2016,
Molly Anne received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from Her Excellency Julie
Payette, Governor General of Canada. Molly Anne passed away peacefully at home
in January 2020.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
Daniel Chen is an art historian and curator specializing in Chinese and Japanese ceramics.
He collaborated with Meredith Chilton, curator emerita at the Gardiner Museum, on the
reinstallation of the Macdonald Gallery of Japanese Ceramics and Its Influence at the
Museum. He earned a master of letters in art history from the University of Glasgow.
EDITOR
Sequoia Miller is chief curator of the Gardiner Museum in Toronto. He holds a BA in
Russian and art history from Brandeis University; an MA from the Bard Graduate Center
for Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture; and a PhD in art history from
Yale University. His recent curatorial projects include Ai Weiwei: Unbroken (2019) and
Cannupa Hanska Luger: Every One (2019) at the Gardiner. He writes frequently on
ceramics and was previously a full-time studio potter based in the Pacific Northwest.
57
KO-KUTANI+NABESHIMA
JAPANESE PORCELAIN FROM THE MACDONALD COLLECTION

Fit for shoguns, early Japanese porcelain excels in its unique character and beauty.
Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima are two of the most compelling styles, rich with variation and colour.
This publication highlights Ko-Kutani and Nabeshima works in the Macdonald Collection,
reproduced in full colour and expanded upon in three essays.

Front and back covers: Nabeshima, Triangular Dish, Japan, Hizen, mid-17th century, 3.8 x 12.2 x 16.9 cm, cat.18