A very unusual Seto Ishi-zara plate decorated with what truly appears to be full blown Art-Nouveau designs in white. It is 30 cm (12 inches) diameter, 4 cm (1-1/2 inches) tall and in overall fine condition, with two small chips in the rim. An excellent example of the fusion of Mingei and Art, East and West, it comes in an old un-marked wooden box.
Seto ishi-zara are stoneware dishes produced at the Seto kilns in central Japan, primarily from the late Muromachi through Edo and into the Meiji periods. The term ishi (“stone”) refers not to the use of literal stone, but to the stone-like hardness, weight, and durability of the fired clay body, which distinguishes these plates from softer earthenware. Produced at the historic Seto kiln complex in Seto, one of Japan’s oldest ceramic centers, ishi-zara exemplify Seto’s role as a supplier of practical ceramics for daily life, in contrast to more elite or decorative wares. Seto ishi-zara are valued today for their quiet, utilitarian beauty. Their restrained surfaces align closely with later wabi-sabi sensibilities and the aesthetics of the tea world, even though they were not originally made as tea wares. Each plate bears subtle variations from hand-forming and firing, making even functional objects quietly individual.
