Dish With Ginkgo Leaves (Late 1600s-Early 1700s CE)

This Nabeshima dish shows how much could be achieved with restraint. Its broad porcelain surface is animated by an abstracted pattern of ginkgo leaves, painted in underglaze blue with unusual clarity and control. Made in Japan in the late 1600s or early 1700s, it belongs to a ceramic tradition in which refinement was measured not by excess, but by precision, balance, and the disciplined handling of form.

Made for an Exclusive Sphere

The dish belongs to the Edo period and to the distinguished category of Hizen porcelain known as Nabeshima ware. Produced under the supervision of the Nabeshima clan in the Saga domain, such porcelains were not made for ordinary commercial sale. Instead, they were created for elite use within the domain and as presentation pieces for the Tokugawa shogunate and powerful daimyō. That restricted function helps explain the high standards of execution that define Nabeshima ware.

Ginkgo Leaves and Patterned Elegance

The decoration centers on ginkgo leaves, a motif long associated in Japanese art with endurance and longevity. Here, however, the leaves are not treated as a naturalistic study. They are stylized and integrated into a broader ornamental rhythm that gives the dish its visual identity. The design also incorporates karakusa, or scrolling “Chinese grasses,” creating a pattern that feels both ordered and alive. This combination of natural reference and controlled abstraction is one of the hallmarks of Nabeshima design.

Precision in Porcelain

The dish is made of high-quality porcelain and measures 20 cm in diameter (7.87 inches). It represents the largest of the three standard Nabeshima dish sizes used for individual servings. The outlines of the design were painted in underglaze blue before glazing and firing, a process that demanded careful planning and a steady hand. The result is a surface of remarkable sharpness and clarity, with the decoration held in careful balance across the circular form.

A Kiln Tradition in Hizen

This dish was likely produced at the Ōkawachi kilns in Hizen Province, now Saga Prefecture, during the late 1600s to early 1700s. These kilns became the principal center of Nabeshima porcelain production after earlier moves within the region. Their output reflects a ceramic culture shaped by technical discipline, domain patronage, and a strong sense of inherited artistic standards.

From Domain Porcelain to Museum Collection

Originally made within the highly selective world of Nabeshima patronage, the dish later passed through other hands before entering the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Today it remains an important example of Edo-period porcelain at its most controlled and elegant, embodying both the artistic ambitions and the cultural values of its time.