Posted 9 years ago
katherines…
(247 items)
So I remain confused about the difference in uses of Asian ceramics. Can't tell by size or decor, it seems, and within certain uses there are different sizes as well. I say this because I asked a Japanese group whether the item in the first photo could be classified as a half cylinder tea cup, and they responded, in a rather sniffy tone, the term half cylinder applied to tea bowls. Oh tea bowls. Of which apparently mine is not. lol. American cups are fairly easy to classify, tea cups, demitasse, coffee cups, mugs. Whereas Asian ceramics are with handles, without handles, rough, smooth, big, small, smallish, smaller. Some for tea, some for sake, some for condiment. From what I've seen chocolate and coffee are Westernized. So I don't know what these could be classified by, as far as use. Sized from tallest to shortest:
#1, handleless, 5" x 2 1/2. Stamped Made in Japan off to the right side on the base in red ink.
#2, handleless, Blue Phoenix, 3". Stamped Made in Japan off to the right side on the base in black (or dark blue) ink.
#3, handleless, looks like sumo wrestlers, IDed here on CW as Kutani, c.40s. 3" across. Stamped Made in Japan in red ink around a diamond with the letters M.I. enclosed.
#4, handleless, wren on dogwood, 2 3/4" x 1 1/2". Stamped Made in Japan in red ink.
What are your thoughts, opinions, my friends? Thanks for looking.
Well, I'll tell you what Katherine they all are beautiful that's for sure. :)
lol. Yeah, Japanese can be confusing! This is from my wife, who is native Japanese, from Japan (as opposed to Japanese-American or Japanese-Hawaiian or Japanese-Brazilian, etc.). Keep in mind, though, that this is from a lay person and the terms and usage are those used in every day speech by common, every day people:
#1 > If this is 5" across and 2-1/2" high, my wife says she calls it DONBURI.
#2 > If you mean this is 3" tall, my wife says she calls it YUNOMI. She says YUNOMI CHAWAN is the more proper term that one would find in textbooks and advertisements, but the common, every day term is the former.
#3 & #4 > Same as #2.
NOTE: The tiny, 1-sip, triangular shaped drinking vessel used for drinking SAKE (incorrectly pronounced by most Westerners as "sack-ee") is called SAKAZUSHI.
Hope this helps somewhat. [;>)
Wow! Your pieces are beautiful and what a reply from Nevada.
You go on with your bad self Nevada!! ;; And Lucky you for an amazing wife. :)
I love this post and reply. :)
I'm echoing OGF - love this post and reply.
Great to have Nevada and his wife's help with us !
As Mike said... all are beautiful :-)
The green one has like a three d effect
Love it
Ha, my friends were all responding while I was asleep! :))
Thanks for the love, Efesgirl, AmatoorPikr, aura, mikelv85, vetraio50, Elisabethan, NevadaBlades, racer4four, kyratango, Gruff, and kivatinitz. :)
Thank you so much for your nice compliment, Mike, always so kind. :)
Nevada, I couldn't have asked for a better reply, thank you very much, great information not only for me but for everyone who reads this post!!! :) Sorry if I wasn't clear about the third photo, that one is 3" across, about 2 inches high as I recall. Is there a different name for those? I believe they were referred to as WWII helmets because of their shape. Thank you again! Such a great community we have here to share information with each other! :)
OGF, thank you so much, and yes, I love the reply too! :)
Karen, thank you so much, my dear friend, always such a pleasure to hear from you. :)
kyratango, thank you so much for your compliment, you are so kind, yes it is great to have Nevada here with us in our little community.
Gruff, thank you, yes, the decor is layered so I can see what you mean. It's very mid century modern in decor, isn't it? :)
Thanks for the love, Trey, and brunswick. :)