Large Vase with Butterflies and Peonies

This is a vase with a long body and a round, swollen “shoulder” area that tapers toward the base. The shape was first formed from white clay, with the object then coated with a glaze and fired. The vase exudes a sense of refinement with its gentle uniform whiteness. Six peonies wrap around the jar's body, while five butterflies flutter across the large white space on the shoulder area. All the motifs were embossed onto the jar by applying or removing clay from the body, with smaller details like the leaf veins then carved out. Seifu Yohei lived from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period. He was adopted into the Seifu family of Kyoto potters and he became the third head of the family in 1878. He was strongly influenced by Chinese ceramics and he tried to find his own style by adopting Chinese forms of expression while experimenting with several new techniques.

It seems this vase was also modelled on Qing-period Chinese porcelain, though Yohei's unique touch is apparent in the soft white tone and the motifs that rise gently from the surface. This work was exhibited to particularly high acclaim at the World's Columbian Exposition, an event held in Chicago in 1893 to showcase products from across the world. A leading potter of the modern period, Seifū Yohei III (1851–1914) was the first ceramist to be appointed an Imperial Household Artist. He studied Chinese porcelain but was famous for his original creations. This work features an innovative use of glaze and was shown at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.