WEALTH: Merchants
Throughout the Edo period the Shoguns remained wary of foreigners and restricted outside trade. However, trading did take place with neighbours such as China and Korea, and with the western world, predominantly the Dutch, Portuguese and English.
The first English ships to reach Japan arrived at Hirado in 1613 although an Englishman, William Adams, a native of Kent, had piloted ships of the Dutch East India Company there in 1600. The English trading post at Hirado lasted only ten years but the Dutch base at Nagasaki was trading well into the 19th century. The Dutch were based on their own man-made island called Deshima or Dejima, which had been constructed in a fan shape in 1636.
The Japanese considered merchants to be of low status. They earned their wealth from the hard work of others, who either grew or crafted the items that the merchants sold. As the merchant class became more prosperous during the peaceful Edo period, so they became more despised. Their new wealth allowed them to afford the pleasures that had once been the domain of only the powerful samurai class.
Discover the objects in more detail:
Top shelf – front
Water Pot and Lid, 1850
Ceramic
Tall, cylindrical water jar with a wooden lid. Painted in cream crackle glaze with enamel and gilt decoration. Used in the tea ceremony.
Make/ Maker: Tamura Ware (Satsuma, Japan)
Water Pot and Lid, 1850
Ceramic
Tall, cylindrical water jar with a wooden lid. Painted in cream crackle glaze with enamel and gilt decoration. Used in the tea ceremony.
Make/ Maker: Tamura Ware (Satsuma, Japan)
Bowl, 1850-1880
Ceramic
Pottery bowl decorated with chrysanthemums, cloth and writing materials. The rim is lined with a floral pattern.
Make/ Maker: Satsuma Ware
Coffee Pot/ Hot Water Jug
Ceramic
White glazed tall pot with handle and spout decorated with floral designs including chrysanthemums in orange, blue, yellow and red
Tea Bowl, 1900
Ceramic, Satsuma Ware
Light stone colour glaze decorated with a crowded design of flowers and foliage in gilt and enamels. The foot is divided in three sections.
Tea Ceremony Cup, 1850
Ceramic
Cream crackle glaze decorated with a floral design in enamel and gilt.
Make/ Maker: Yeiraku XII (Kyoto, Yamashiro, Japan)
Small Tea Pot, 1850
Ceramic
Satsuma Ware teapot with lid spout handle in cream coloured crackle glaze.
Make/ Maker: Modern Satsuma Ware
Hot Water Cup, 1850
Ceramic
Hot water cup in cream crackle glaze decorated with a blossoming sakura branch in green, mauve, red, brown and gilt.
Make/ Maker: Satsuma Ware (Satsuma, Japan)
Bowl and Cover, 1800
Ceramic
Tateno Ware bowl and cover in pale cream crackle glaze with green, red and gilt flowers.
Make/ Maker: Tateno Ware (Satsuma, Japan)
Tea Ceremony Cup, 1840
Ceramic
Circular tea ceremony cup in cream crackle glaze with gold and green decoration of Japanese characters, bird in flight, full moon.
Make/ Maker: Tozan, Satsuma Ware
Candlestick, 1640
Ceramic
Candle holder in shape of a truncated cone with a brass spike at centre. Painted in cream crackled glaze- part decorated with chrysanthemums and karakusa in red, blue, yellow, mauve enamel and gilt. Used for wedding ceremonies.
Tea Pot, 1890
Ceramic
White clay teapot with a bamboo handle. Painted in cream crackle glaze.
Make/ Maker: Ninsei Ware (Kyoto Ware, Kyoto, Yamashiro, Japan) – possible imitation
Tea Powder Jar, 1875
Ceramic
Painted in yellowish white crackle glaze with gold decoration of leaves and a cross in a circle.
Make/ Maker: Satsuma Ware (Tanura Ware, Kagoshima, Satsuma Province)
Tea Powder Pot, 1940 (1908?)
Ceramic
Small barrel-shaped jar with slight waist and an ivory lid. Painted with thick cream crackled glaze and decorated with a leafy branch bearing two fruits in yellow, green, black and gold lacquer.
Make/ Maker: Satsuma Ware (Tanjura Ware, Gatsuma Province?)
Top shelf – side
Dog, 1840
Ceramic
Small dog ornament in cream crackle glaze, decorated with a gilt collar.
Make/ Maker: Satsuma Ware
Top shelf – back
Pair of Vases
Porcelain
Decorated with groups of figures, birds and foliage in panels surrounded by rich gold decoration. A pair of moulded lions heads set at the neck, one on either side.
Make/ Maker: (Satsuma Province)
Pair of Vases, 1900
Porcelain
Two long necked Satsuma vases decorated with delicate floral motifs and abstract patterns in green, red and gilt.
Make/ Maker: Satsuma Ware
Bowl with Cover
Porcelain
Rounded bowl and lid painted in cream glaze and decorated with sprays of flowers and leaves in red, blue and green enamel. (Famille verte)
Make/ Maker: Tateno Ware
Satsuma Incense Pot, 1850
Ceramic
Pot and lid in the form of a stylised persimmon. Glazed with red, white, turquoise and gold on white ground with cream crackle glaze on the interior. Paired with a silk crepe bag.
Make/ Maker: Satsuma Ware? (Kagoshima)
Second shelf – front
Bowl, 1800
Porcelain
White octagonal bowl decorated with figures and landscapes in underglazed blue.
Dish, 1800-50
Porcelain
Teardrop shaped hard paste blue & white dish in Ch’ien Lung style with landscape and seascape image and green strip of decoration around the inside lip.
Bowl and Cover (+5 matching cups), 1820
Porcelain
Rounded bowl with a saucer-shaped cover. The interior of both the bowl and lid is painted in white glaze with a floral medallion and border in underglaze blue. The exterior depicts a European ship and merchants in white, red, green, black enamel and gilt.
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Pot and Cover (Dutch), 1850-1900
Ceramic
‘Cup and cover in cream coloured crackle glaze with blue and brownish-green underglaze landscape and houses.
Make/ Maker: Iwakurasan (Awata, Japan)
Dutch Lacquer Box, 1822
Lacquer
Rectangular metal box with slanted corners. Depicts the Roman gods Juno, in a dove-drawn chariot in the clouds, and Neptune, watching from his chariot in the sea. The scene is formed in white and blue shell, gold, black and red hiramakie, gold and silver. The sides of the box are decorated with a cherry blossom design.
Imari Plate, 1650 (1700-1710?)
Porcelain
Round plate with scalloped edge, painted in white glaze. The outer rim is incised with flower motifs, while the inner rim is decorated with panels of plum blossom in brightly coloured grounds. The centre is decorated with birds, rocks and flowering plants. An imitation of a Chinese style.
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Flower Vase, 1875
Porcelain
A squat bowl vase with a long neck in a cream glaze with a geometric pattern in gold all over the bowl. Around the largest paert of the bowl are circles with a square inside decorated in blue and gold and red and gold geometric foliage designs. The neck is decorated with vertical black stripes.
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Large Bowl, 1700-1740
Porcelain
Deep bowl with a distinct ‘waist’, painted in white glaze. The outside is decorated with flowering plants and birds in red, blue, green and black enamel. The inner rim is lined with a similar design of enamelled birds, cherry blossoms and waves in relief. A second band of birds linked by ribbons and flowers is painted towards the centre.
Make/ Maker: Kakiemon Ware (Arita Hizen Province)
Tray/ Dish, 1830
Porcelain
Dish in the form of a book with a lifted page. The face is decorated in red blue and gold with the base in underglaze blue.
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Large Oval Coin
Large oval with a mall square cut out of the middle and Japanese writing down the length of the oval.
Large Round Coin
Decorated with flowers including chrysanthemums and Japanese writing.
Small Round Coin
Decorated with Japanese writing around the edge.
Second shelf – side
Dish, 1800-1850
Porcelain
Small shallow dish in blue and white glaze, decorated with four flowers in red enamel.
Make/ Maker: Nabeshima Ware (Hizen Province)
Pair of Plates, 1830
Porcelain
Set of two plates in white paste with underglaze blue, red enamel and gilt decoration
Make/ Maker: Hirado Ware (Hizen Province)
Dish for Salt Fish, 1820
Porcelain
Rounded triangular shape dish, painted in white glaze. Decorated with red, yellow and green enamel maple leaves caught in white enamel spider’s webs. Flowers and tendrils on underside, brocade pattern around footrim, in underglaze blue.
Make/ Maker: Nabeshima Ware (Hizen Province)
Sake Pot (Flower Holder?), 1850
Ceramic
Gourd shaped pot in cream clay, painted with cream crackle glaze and decorated with red and blue enamel.
Make/ Maker: Hosai (Yamashiro, Kyoto, Japan)
Second shelf – back
Nabeshima Dish, 1850
Porcelain
Round plate with high footrim. Painted in white glaze and decorated with garlands of flowers in red and yellow enamel and underglaze blue. On underside, beribboned “cash” motifs, with comb pattern on footrim in underglaze blue.
Make/ Maker: Mikawachi Ware
Bowl, 1700-1800
Porcelain
Octagonal, bowl in white paste with underglaze blue decoration of a landscape on the interior and flowers on the exterior.
Make/ Maker: Hirado Ware (?) (Hizen Province)
Set of Three Hizen Bowls1850 (1750-1800?)
Porcelain
Three octagonal bowls with red enamel exteriors divided into 8 panels. Each panel contains a mythical figure. The interiors are either decorated with floral motifs or a landscape in underglaze blue and enamels. (Alt: The interiors are decorated with a landscape at the centre and floral motifs in coloured enamels around the rim)
Make/ Maker: Arita Ware (Hizen Province)
Front left of case
Sake Pourer
Porcelain
Kutani style sake bottle in cream crackle glaze with red enamel and gilt lattice decoration.
Make/ Maker: Kutani
Bowl, 1830
Porcelain
Large, deep bowl painted in white glaze. Decorated with two dragons flying among the clouds in red, blue, green and black enamels with an underglaze blue border above the foot.
Make/ Maker: Arita Ware (Hizen Province)
Flower Vase, 1600
Porcelain
Narrow bottle in shape of bamboo piece. Painted in white glaze and decorated with a flowering plum branch in black, red, blue, yellow and green enamels.
Make/ Maker: Arita, Kakiemon
Sake Pourer (Flower Vase?), 1730-1740
Porcelain
Cylindrical vase with a short narrow neck, flaring at the top. Painted in white glaze and decorated with two birds perching on a bamboo branch and a band of three floral motifs around the shoulder, all in coloured enamel.
Make/ Maker: Arita Ware (Hizen Province)
Pair of Sake Bottles
Porcelain
Gourd shaped bottles in white epaste. Decorated with a large panel on either side depicting a crane and tortoise, surrounded by floral and abstract designs.
Dish (Cake Bowl), 1820
Porcelain
Many-lobed porcelain dish, painted in white glaze. The interior decoration is divided into panels alternating between large golden chrysanthemum mons and a brocade pattern in red, green and gilt. The exterior is decorated with the same pattern but without the chrysanthemums.
Make/ Maker: Arita Ware (Hizen Province)
Dish 1700-1740
Porcelain
Many-lobed porcelain dish, painted in white glaze. Both the interior and exterior decoration is divided into a series of panels alternating between red and green brocade patterns punctuated with large white chrysanthemums.
Make/ Maker: Arita Ware (Hizen Province)
Set of Five Dishes, 18thC
Ceramic
Five twelve-lobed bowls of varying sizes, Each is divided into equal sections and decorated with alternating red and green brocade patterns, punctuated with large white chrysanthemums.
Make/ Maker: Arita Ware (Kiku ware?)
Pickle Pot, 1840
Porcelain
White slip jar decorated with birds amongst reeds in blue underglaze, overglaze, green, red and gilt.
Make/ Maker: Arita Ware (Urita Ware? Hizen Province)
Vase, 1870
Porcelain
Double-gourd-shaped vase, painted in dark blue glaze. Decorated with a raised design of maple leaves and branches, glazed in pale celadon green with some leaves enamelled light orange.
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Sake Bottle
Porcelain
Oval bottle with narrow neck. Painted in pale green glaze and decorated with ducks and reeds in red enamel.
Make/ Maker: Koto Ware (Hikone Omi Province)
Hizen Incense Burner, 1825
Porcelain
Hexagonal body with two moulded shishi heads set at either side to act as handles. Another shishi is seated on top of the lid, mouth open and looking upwards. Each face of the pot is decorated with a floral panel bordered by brocade patterns in coloured enamel, underglaze blue and gold.
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Sake Pot, 1850
Porcelain
Double gourd-shaped vase with very short, narrow neck. Painted in white glaze and decorated with horses, rocks, grasses, flowers, clouds and takaromono in gold and coloured enamels.
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Cake Bowl, 1730
Porcelain
Five-panelled bowl painted in chocolate coloured glaze. Three of the panels are decorated with floral patterns in coloured
enamels and underglaze blue.
Make/ Maker: Kakiyamon Ware (Hizen Province)
Cake Bowl, 1825
Porcelain
Small bowl in white paste with a blue enamel exterior. Decorated with gold vegetable design on the exterior and a ring of enamel flower on the interior
Make/ Maker: Imari Ware (Hizen Province)
Back left of case
Kaga Dish (1 of 2)
Porcelain
Flat, oblong shape, bottom surface covered with a rich design of flowers and foliage in relief, painted with various colours on a gold ground. Interior and exterior of sides decorated with paintings of flowers and foliage.
Dish and Cover
Porcelain
Bowl and cover in white slip decorated with blue, red, green and gilt. Dragon and birds pictured on exterior.
Make/ Maker: Kutani (Kaga, Japan) or Arita Ware,
Bowl
Ceramic
Lipped bowl with red and gold patterned background around windows with white background and decorations of flowers and butterflies on the outside and landscapes with figure scenes on the inside.
Front centre of case
Tea Ceremony Cup, 1830-1870
Ceramic
Light and dark brown speckle glazed cup with decoration in relief of flowers and dragons around the outside.
Make/ Maker: Soma Ware (Iwaki Province)
Kyoto Flower Vase, 1825
Ceramic
Vase of light brown pottery with green leaf-like handles are set at each side. The body is painted in pale grey crackled glaze with the central portion displaying two broad patterned bands – one underglaze black, one blue enamel. A golden ho-o bird is pictured on one side and a circular motif in coloured enamels and underglaze black on other.
Make/ Maker: Awata Ware (Kyoto)
Tea Ceremony Cup, 1870
Ceramic
Rounded cup with sides compressed to form 7 sided shape. Rough, row-like surface outside, with grey glaze patterned with red. Prancing horse in relief-grey with underglaze black details. Inside red with another horse in relief at bottom.
Make/ Maker: Soma Ware (Iwaki Province)
Sake Cup Washing Bowl, 1750
Ceramic
Deep bowl with false bottom forming hollow area near base, pieced with two four-pellated flowers and a clove. Painted in beige glaze and decorated with two horses (one inside, one outside) in faint black underglaze.
Make/ Maker: Soma Ware (Iwaki Province)
Flower Vase, 1800
Ceramic
Tall thin cylindrical vase in a pale brown ceramic with a drip green glaze from the top running down. Further random decoration of circles in a dark brown.
Make/ Maker: Oriba Ware
Tea Ceremony Cup, 1830
Ceramic
Decorated with a horse in relief on exterior, painted in grey and underglaze black. The interior is glazed with red.
Tea Bowls and saucers
Eggshell Porcelain
White glaze with decoration of beautiful ladies in different poses in blues, orange, green, red and gold.
Back centre of case
Chrysanthemum Incense Pot, 1610
Ceramic
Box hinged like a clam shell. Each half is in the form of a chrysanthemum with a rounded triangular shape, moulded and painted matt white with yellow centre. Decorated with a red-brown crackled glaze and gold on rim and interior.
Make/ Maker: Eiraku III (Kyoto, Japan)
Plate
Ceramic
Cream glazed plate with decoration of three men in green blue and mustard coloured clothing sate beneath a black twisted tree. Swirling black linear pattern in a band around the plate edge and three sections equidistance apart with blue flowers within this band.
Large Cake Bowl and Cover, 1835
Ceramic
Large cake bowl and lid, in form of chrysanthemum flower. Painted in greenish white glaze with green enamel leaves and a yellow centre. Greenish cream glaze inside.
Make/ Maker: Kikko Ware (Setsu Province)
Figure of Man Seated
Ceramic
Figure of a man seated on a bundle of sticks wearing a green top, light blue bottoms, holding a yellow gourd and smiling over his left shoulder.
Green Burner, 1820
Ceramic
Hand warmer for ladies, painted in bright green glaze. Belonged to Daimyo of the Tokugawa family. – ?
Make/ Maker: Mimato Ware
Front right of case
Tea Powder Pot
Ceramic, Lacquered in Karim style
Natsume shaped jar of white pottery with large lid. Moulded with daisy like flowers,with yellow painted centre ( one green). Patches of pottery show through the gold leaf base. Interior painted with dark green glaze.
Make/ Maker: Toyosuke
Lacquer Furniture
Lacquer
Cabinet with 4 drawers along the top in a blue lattice design with intricate handles and a gold patterned edge to each drawer. There are then three rows of two drawers in a pink lattice design and large flowers with intricate handles and a gold patterned edge to each drawer. The top of the cabinet is sloped with a panel propped above it on gold decorated poles. The bottom is of a dark lacquer table with four legs a cream, random geometric design and solver decoration encasing the corners.
Incense Box, 1820
Ceramic, Izawa
Rounded two-part pot with a pointed lid. Painted in fawn crackle glaze with enamel decoration of white chrysanthemums.
Make/ Maker: Banko (Ise, Japan)
Box
Laquer
Decorated with a tree with branches blowing in the wind against clouds and a dark moon.
Box (Suzuribako), 1760-1900
Lacquer
Rectangular writing box in gold, hiramakie, takamakie and nashii ground. The outer lid is decorated with a stream and pine trees with a moving waterwheel, activated by quicksilver under a glass panel. The inner lid shows ripples, plants and rocks in midstream.
Cabinet
Lacquer
Rectangular box containing three drawers hidden by a hinged door. Decorated with an image of Mount Horai on nashii ground. The surrounding design of plum, pine and bamboo trees, cranes and minogame, is formed in gold, rogin, silver leaf, hiramakie and takamakie.
Round Lacquer Box
Lacquer
Small, flat, rounded box with a marbled surface. This effect is created by applying irregular layers of red, brown and gold lacquer and then rubbing them smooth.
Small flat round box with gold, black and brown lacquer.
Box
Lacquer
Two-tiered, rectangular box and lid secured by a green braided ribbon. Decorated with a series of golden mons containing cranes, butterflies, minogame, plum blossom and bamboo on nashii ground.
Box
Lacquer
Dark brown rounded rectangular box with decoration of three scenes in rectangles randomly placed and floral patterns in between on gold.
Box
Lacquer
Rectangular box decorated with a golden tree design and oak mon set against a zig-zagged pattern of rorio fundame and sparse nashii.
Box, 1500-1600
Lacquer
Flat, square box depicting a daimyo and his attendants waiting in the rain whilst a man drives away his ox. Design formed in red, gold and rogin hiramkaie and takamakie with kirikane and inlaid shell, pewter, tortoiseshell and silver.
Box
Lacquer
Small square box decorated with a river scene in gold, brown, rogin takamakie and hiramakie with coral inlay. The scene contains a moving waterwheel set under glass and activated by quicksilver.
Box
Lacquer
Small square box decorated with an elaborate design containing a large pine tree, bamboo stalks, cranes and minogame in gold hiramakie and kirikane on nashii ground.
Incense Pot, 1700-1750
Ceramic
Circular box with a raised lid. Painted in grey crackle glaze and decorated with abstract floral patterns in coloured enamel.
Make/ Maker: Bonko Ware (Ise, Japan)
Back right of case
Bowl, 1760
Ceramic
Hard paste dish decorated with birds and peonies in blue and white glaze.
Make/ Maker: Nabeshima family (Okawachi, Arita, Japan)
Incense Box
Ceramic
Incense box in the shape of a bird looking over its back in a dark green glaze and yellow beak.
Incense Box, 1825
Ceramic
Small tortoise-shaped box decorated in gold leaf coated with red glaze.
Make/ Maker: Yeiraki XI (Kyoto, Yamashiro, Japan)
Cake Bowl, 1830
Ceramic
Broad, shallow bowl with a spiral ridge. Painted with green and brown crackle glaze overlaid with worn gold and incised with a zig-zag line around the outside.
Make/ Maker: Rokubei III (Kyoto, Japan)
Cake Bowl, 1750-1770
Ceramic
Circular dish painted in dark brown glaze with a gold lacquer overlay. The interior is modelled to resemble the spiral of a shell.
Make/ Maker: Rokubei I (Kyoto, Yamashiro, Japan)
Incense Box, 1825
Ceramic
Larger tortoise-shaped box decorated in gold leaf coated with red glaze.
Make/ Maker: Yeiraki XI (Kyoto, Yamashiro, Japan)
Tortoise Incense Box, 1890
Ceramic
Tortoise-shaped box in light green clay painted with a light grey glaze.
Make/ Maker: Asahi Ware (Uji, Yamashiro, Japan)
Dish and Cover, 1710
Ceramic
Flattened circular box painted in reddish brown and gilt glaze.
Make/ Maker: Sonin, 5th gen (Raku) (Kyoto, Yamashito, Japan)
Lacquer Box
Lacquer
Deep rectangular box in rich brown lacquer. Decorated in gold with scenes of landscapes with figures in.