Potter's Brush: The Kenzan Style in Japanese Ceramics - Hardcover

Wilson, Richard L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1858941563 ISBN 13: 9781858941561

Publisher: Merrell Publishers, 2003

Synopsis

Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743) is celebrated as Japan's first and foremost individual potter. His reputation is both a product of his own time and of the modern age: the esteem in which he was held in Japan was ignited in the West as critics, art dealers, and collectors vied for his colorfully painted and inscribed work at the beginning of the twentieth century. Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) was the world's principal collector of Kenzan wares, acquiring artifacts ranging from original pieces by Kenzan to late nineteenth-century forgeries. This range is presented here for the first time. The story of his collection uncovers the secret history of the complex relationships between makers and connoisseurs, between individual creativity and artisanal work, relationships that often operate across centuries. The Potter's Brush explores the appropriation of the Kenzan name, detailing two centuries of innovation and reproduction, and charting the evolution of what amounts to a designer brand of ceramics. Abundantly illustrated in full color, with a complete inventory of the Freer Collection, this radical survey offers new ways of looking at both the works themselves and the strategies whereby their status has been established in the art world.

About this title

About the Author:

Richard L. Wilson is Director of Japan Studies and Professor of Art and Archaeology at the International Christian University, Tokyo.

About this edition

• Publisher: Merrell Publishers
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1858941563
• ISBN 13: 9781858941561
• Binding: Hardcover