KERAMIC STUDIO 
1 Badge of Japan. 
THE COLLECTOR 
THE COLOR BLUE IN POTTERY AND PORCELAIN 
III. JAPANESE PORCELAIN. 
Mary Churchill Ripley 
IN attempting to study the art of the Japanese potter, we 
find ourselves at the outset, face to face with a grave diffi- 
culty. Commercial wares exist to such an unlimited extent, 
that it is next to impossible to secure specimens of what col- 
lectors call " pure Japanese wares." Articles small and large 
are made and have been made for many years in the " land 
of the rising sun," for foreign markets. European shapes and 
styles have also been copied, and even patterns which mean 
nothing whatever to the native Japanese, have been used upon 
pottery and porcelain. For such commercial wares, collectors 
care little or nothing, preferring to secure specimens of na- 
tional interest and importance. With this latter class of ob- 
jects we shall attempt to deal, though for illustration we may 
be obliged to use reproductions, as it is not easy to do other- 
wise when endeavoring to speak of the subject at large. 
It is far easier to separate the commercial from the 
National art of Japan in the study of wares, though that is no 
simple task, than to learn to distinguish between decorations 
purely Japanese, and those showing Chinese or Corean influ- 
ences. Potters were sent by princes to China to learn methods 
of the more advanced artists there, and it was a matter of 
pride to successfully imitate foreign things. 
It is impossible to comprehend much about the art of a 
country, without some knowledge of its history, manners and 
customs. The ceremonial pottery of Japan has about it a 
charm that enhances its value, and gives adequate satisfaction 
to the collector who seeks to trace the history and thought of 
the people. 
The arts were developed in Japan under the patronage of 
princes, who with desire to outdo their neighbors employed 
artists and artisans to make for them the best articles they 
could for their private use, and as gifts to friends. Cere- 
monies of centuries standing Called for bowls and jars of tra- 
ditional shapes and styles. The religions of the country re- 
quired vessels, ornaments and images, the demand for which 
constantly stimulated the inventive genius of native potters. 
These objects bore often the most suggestive and artistic 
decoration. 
It has been said that the true secret of the charm that is 
so subtly evident in things Japanese, consists in the fact that 
Japanese artists remember beauty, and paint their memories. 
One has only to watch an artist at work to note how true 
this is. From childhood the thing beautiful has impressed 
itself upon him, and the toss of the wave, the flight of the 
birds, the swaying of the grasses, the half concealed moon, the 
cloud-penetrating mountain peak, — vie with each other for 
consideration. 
So highly imaginative were the early potters of Japan, 
that the shapes they formed were suggestive of keen artistic 
sense. When conventionally treated Japanese ornament over- 
powers us by its intricacy and minute perfection. Built upon 
circles and geometrical forms, are numberless frets and designs ; 
and ornament suggested by animal, floral and bird forms, 
gives free play to the fanciful genius of artists. At first pat- 
terns seem numberless, but gradually a few are found to be 
more commonly used than others, and of these, many of them 
are based upon the historic ornament of China. 
I'la 
te showi 
ng< 
:opy of Chines 
e mark or 
i reverse. 
Dish of "A 
Nabe 
shii 
na " Kushite' 
' pattern i 
an base. 
Reverse of '■ 
decorated w: 
ith "wavi 
2 patten 
i" and tidejei 
iri" plate, 
It is difficult to properly classify the pottery and porcelain 
of Japan, as potters have used clays in their native state, with- 
out bringing them to known consistencies. This has led to a 
vast number of experimental products, and the charm of much 
that has been made, consists in the fact that nothing exactly like 
it exists. The fact that potteries are largely family affairs, 
leads to development of individual styles. Traditions are 
handed down not only from father to son, but it has long been 
the custom in Japan to give one's name to a favorite appren. 
tice to the exclusion of the son's rights. A curious story of a 
famous bowl illustrates this point. While traveling in Japan 
a dozen years ago, a collector discovered in an out of the way 
hamlet a very skilful potter. Believing that he would some 
day be very great, the collector bought from him a very costly 
bowl, which bore the potter's own mark. The decoration 
showed a most unique quality, and the curio was much ad- 
mired in Europe. Five years later, on a second visit to Japan, 
the collector went again to the little village, and found that 
the same potter was at work, but not marking his wares which 
were very beautiful, but of an entirely different style from any 
known before. Upon being told by the potter that he had 
sold everything to an apprentice, his name and all, and that 
he had no longer a right to use his own name upon his wares, 
the traveler bought a second bowl, decorated with new design, 
and departed with his treasure. He then went to the ap- 
prentice, and bought an exact copy of the original bowl, with 
an exact copy of the mark, first used by the old potter and 
sold to the apprentice. On a third visit to Japan the collec- 
tor found both master potter and apprentice dead, and from 
the son of the old potter he secured three bowls, one an 
exact copy of the original bowl, the second of the bowl made 
by the apprentice, the third showing a slight change in the 
style adopted by the son. All three of those bowls were 
marked on the bottom with the mark originally used by the 
father potter, the son having bought it back from the family 
of the apprentice, after his death. Having no skill himself, 
the son had failed to make as perfect ware as that made by 
his father, though at first glance the replicas seemed exactly 
like the original. 
