A heavily formed later Edo period plate decorated with green, yellow and red seaside imagery by Minpai Kashu bearing the artists seal impressed into the back.It is 37.5 x 25 x 5 cm (15 x 10 x 2 inches) and is in excellent original condition.A very rare work worthy of museum collection.It comes in an age darkened kiri-wood box.
Awaji yaki was founded in the early 1830s by a scholar of classical literature and Tea Master, Minpei Kashu (1796–1871, last name also spelled Mimpei). From a wealthy trading family, he was concerned about the development of industrial resources in his province and devoted himself to the manufacture of ceramics, which he studied under Ogata Shuhei (1788-1839), a famous Kyoto potter. Returning to his village after his studies, he established kilns in the Tenpō era (1830s) and devoted his whole fortune to the enterprise. Lord Hachisuka of Awaji Province subsequently subsidized Minpei's manufactory and appointed him head of the workshops. His efforts were successful, and his production reached a prosperity which equaled in value the rice harvest of the eleven surrounding villages. After Minpei's death in 1862 his successors continued manufacturing ceramics, which became a source of wealth for the province. Known as Awaji ware, they are also known by the founders name as Minpei or Mimpei Yaki.The work is characterized by a white or cream-colored clay with blue or yellow glaze, sometimes also green, sharing similarities with Sansai-ware. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has nine pieces of Minpei ware in its permanent collection.
