Teapot with Landscape (detail)
Design attributed to Olfert Daper (Dutch, 1635-1689)
Japan, Edo period (1615-1868), early 18th century
Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration
(Arita ware)
Design attributed to Olfert Daper (Dutch, 1635-1689)
Japan, Edo period (1615-1868), early 18th century
Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration
(Arita ware)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Dr. and Mrs. Roger G. Gerry Collection
Bequest of Dr. and Mrs. Roger G. Gerry, 2000
2002.447.120a,b
Dr. and Mrs. Roger G. Gerry Collection
Bequest of Dr. and Mrs. Roger G. Gerry, 2000
2002.447.120a,b
Teapot with Landscape (detail) invites viewers to consider not only Japan's recent earthquake and tsunami, but also man's long and complex relationship with the sea
NEW YORK, April 8, 2011 -- Considering Japan’s recent earthquake and tsunami, this detail depicting a boat sailing near the coast is another reminder of man’s long and complex relationship with the sea.
Taken from an 18th-century Edo-period Japanese teapot currently on view in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the scene renders people so tiny that they are as fragile as the porcelain upon which they are painted.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), Japan was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. It was a tumultuous time. Edo -- the shogunate's seat of power and the former name of Tokyo -- was destroyed several times by war and also natural disasters like fire, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
