Satsuma ceramics of Japan in the State Hermitage Collection
25 September 2009 - 13 December 2009

25 September 2009, an exhibition Satsuma ceramics of Japan in the State Hermitage Collection opened in the Blackamoor Dining-Room.

Ornate items with bright painting and gilding made of light-coloured ceramic mixture and covered with glaze with tiny cracks were very popular in Europe at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. In Japan this caused the appearance of items performed in the Satsuma style that were made in other ceramics centres and intended for export to Europe. The exhibition devoted to the ceramics of Satsuma Province is held for the first time in Russia.

The collection of the State Hermitage allows tracing different stages of the development of Satsuma ceramics and the Satsuma style from the beginning of the 18th century till the first third of the 20th century. The collection demonstrates all the variety of technical and artistic techniques that were used in ornamentation of the items. Despite the fact that this collection is not big, it is imposing enough, and along with the collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow) it is the most significant in Russia.

70 works by Japanese ceramicists are displayed at the exhibition, except for five items that have not been exhibited before.

Items created in the so-called Thai style (Sunkoroku) traced back to the ornamentation of Thai ceramics of the 13th-14th centuries are referred to the early painted works. At the exhibition they are represented by a censer and a sculptural group "Goddess of Mercy, Kannon, and a boy" (18th century). Plastic art works in Sunkoroko style are very rare pieces in museum collections, that is why the Hermitage example can be called a rarity. Both pieces are covered with underglaze painting with a depiction of spiral lines and geometrical motifs performed in dark-brown paint.

Korean and Chinese examples influenced the formation of the Satsuma ceramics style. This influence is clearly observed in the ornamentation of a vessel of dark clay inlaid with white engobe, a vessel with relief depiction of a bird and iconography of Hotei figurine, deity of contentment and abundance.

In the second half of the 18th century the production of ceramics in Satsuma is decreased. The recovery of production activity is observed only at the beginning of the 19th century. During this time the popular pieces were small items intended for tea ceremony or practical purposes. In the collection of the State Hermitage this period is not presented, and the earliest pieces of the 19th century are cups, vases, vessels of different forms that can be dated back only to the second half of the century.

By the middle of the 19th century a peculiar style of ceramic ware was formed in the workshops of Kagoshima, Naeshirogawa and Tateno. A cream-coloured crock, small crazing on glaze and polychrome painting called "nishikide" ("brocade pattern" or "golden brocade") became its characteristic features. An elephant figure decorated with intricate painting can be given as an example of this type of ceramic ware. One of the characteristic techniques used by ceramicists of Satsuma is a wide application of openwork carving, it can be seen in the decoration of a vase with a pattern in form of a pomegranate fruit or a covered box.

A vase with a monogram "H" under the crown is referred to expensive gift articles. It was made by the masters Chin Jukan XII and Chin Jushei and sent to St Petersburg (together with its pair) in 1896, apparently, for the coronation of Nicholas II.

Satsuma ceramics received true recognition in Europe in 1837 after the World Fair in Vienna. Interest to the works of this province led to the creation of workshops specialising in the Satsuma ceramics. From that time active production of export articles began not only in Satsuma, but also in other ceramics centres.

Kyoto stood out among these centres. In Kyoto ceramics with polychrome painting has existed since 17th century and brilliantly developed in the works of the celebrated masters, Nonomura Ninsei and Ogato Kenzan. The master who turned to the Satsuma ceramics ware was Kinkozan Sobei VI (1824 - 1884). His son and heir, Kinkozan VII (1867 - 1927), developed his father’s style, and having turned his father’s workshop into one of the biggest workshops in Kyoto he considerably expanded production. In 1870s -1880s genre scenes became widespread along with ornamental motifs and compositions performed in the birds-and-flowers genre. The themes for these genre scenes were taken by the masters from literary works, legends about valiant warriors of the past. By the end of the 19th century literary themes gave place to the scenes of festivities and gaiety with depiction of famous views of the old capital. In the course of time the technique of decoration has become more complex; contacts with European countries have led to the adoption of some techniques. Thus, in particular, Japanese masters began to use "suikin" technique ("liquid gold") adopted from the artists of Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, Germany.

Big demand for Kyoto ceramics in the Satsuma style abroad influenced the creation of workshops working in a similar manner in the cities of Kansai region that includes prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Nara. One of the most prominent masters working in this style was Yabu Meizan (1853 - 1934), whose life was connected with the city of Osaka. Main themes of the decoration of his works were sceneries and miniature narrative scenes. During the same time, 1880s - 1890s, paintings with small flower patterns and depiction of miniature birds and butterflies began to appear. The decoration of a cup with depiction of butterflies inside is performed in the same style.

Yokohama became a big centre where pieces in the Satsuma style were created. Here one of the most prominent masters of the end of the 19th century was Miyagawa Kozan (1846 - 1916). His mane is connected with the creation of many works in which painting was combined with high relief and separately made figures of birds and insects. Such articles were called "saikumono" ("handiwork objects"). A vase with depiction of birds on branches from Kozan’s workshop gives an idea of such articles.

Increase in demand for Japanese ceramics abroad caused appearance of trade companies that ordered items of a particular type. There existed special albums of orders with examples of forms and decoration. Moulds for tea and coffee sets decorated with high relief were created in Satsuma and painted in Yokohama. The themes for these articles were battle scenes, depictions of deities, arhats and dragons against the scenery which were reproduced on all kinds of items. Relief, stamping, painting with thick paints that create relief lines, and gilding were widely applicable. Often narrative painting was combined with geometrical patterns, ornaments in the form of golden dots against which coat of arms of the Shimazu clan and the Imperial House were placed; at the bottom of the items there were inscriptions with the names of the masters who made the mould and painted the articles and, sometimes, name of a trading company.

A full-colour illustrated catalogue (State Hermitage Publishing House, St Petersburg, 2009) has been prepared and published for the exhibition. The curator of the exhibition is Tatyana Arapova, leading researcher of the Oriental Department.

Bodhisattva Kannon with a Karako Boy
18th century
Larger view

Vase with the Story of Minamoto-no Yorimitsu (Raiko) and His Men’s Victory over the Demons at Mount Oe
1870s-189s
Larger view

Incense Burner with Phoenix
1880s
Larger view

Koro Incense Burner
Late 1880s-1890s
Larger view

Elephant with a Pagoda on Its Back
1890-91
Larger view

Vase with the Monogram H under the crown
1890s
Larger view

Bowl Decorated with Small Butterflies
1890s
Larger view

Basket (Cricket Cage?)
19th century
Larger view

Vase with Openwork Carving
Late 19th - early 20th century
Larger view