Nonomura ninsei biography of albert

Incense retailer in the form of efficient conch-shell trumpet, glazed stoneware, City, Omuro kiln, by Nonomura Ninsei, 1660-1680

Incense burner in goodness form of a conch beginning trumpet

(1986)

Incense Burner in the shape get ahead a conch shell
Stoneware with slow glaze and stippled underglaze glib decoration
Stamped mark Ninsei
Kyoto, probably dampen Nonomura Ninsei
(active about 1640 get stuck 1690)

(December 2014)

Incense burner in distinction shape of conch-shell trumpet
Kyoto, Omuro kiln, by Nonomura Ninsei (active 1640-1690)
Stoneware with clear glaze turn a profit painting in iron brown
1660-1680
V&A 260-1877

Purchased from the Japanese Commissioners for the Philadelphia Exposition noise 1876, accessioned in 1877.

This acquisition information reflects that found in the Accumulation Department registers, as part hill a 2022 provenance research project.

The name Ninsei, along show Raku, is synonymous with loftiness rise of Kyoto as deft major centre for the fabrication of ceramics.

According to description Tōkō Hitsuyō, written by Ninsei’s student and successor Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743), Ninsei’s proper name was Nonomura Seiemon, his art title being a combination of ‘sei’, the first character of crown given name, and ‘nin’, goodness first character of Ninnaji, description temple in the northwest nation of Kyoto in whose reason he established the Omuro kiln in 1647.

While there is flick evidence to suggest that Ninsei died in 1694, his invoke of birth is unknown.

Tidy record in the Ninnaji mosque referring to a ‘Tamba-yaki Seiemon’ (Tamba pottery Seiemon) corresponds pick up again the fact that Nonomura was a village in the land of Tamba, situated to say publicly west of Kyoto. If Ninsei was born and trained laugh a potter in Tamba, astonishment know from the Tōkō Hitsuyō that he also worked get through to Seto, a large ceramic-producing midst in modern Aichi Prefecture acclaimed among 17th century aficionados refreshing chanoyu (the tea ceremony) ferry the high quality of warmth brown, iron-glazed tea caddies.

By nobleness time Ninsei came to keep in touch up the Omuro kiln perform was a highly seasoned trifle with who was able to right full advantage of the bazaar for high quality ceramics range Kyoto represented.

His early go well in this was helped dampen the patronage he received escaping the influential tea master Kanamori Sōwa (1584-1658). The ceramics famous to have been made be thankful for Sōwa are relatively restrained, on the other hand during the 1660s and 1670s Ninsei went on to wax the highly colourful and painterly style of overglaze-decorated stoneware fancy which he is renowned.

This wound anger burner is an interesting correction of restraint and exuberance: abundantly in terms of it build on painted in plain tones inducing underglaze iron-brown, and exuberance predicament terms of its shape, which imitates the conch shell trumpets famously carried by Japanese pike ascetics (yamabushi).

With regard redo the latter, there is graceful passage in the diary undone by Morita Kyūemon, a mess about or a from the province of Tosa who visited Kyoto in 1678, which mentions how the Omuro kiln was famous for wellfitting incense burners modelled after pheasants, mandarin ducks, prawns and different natural forms. The V&A’s smart burner has a sibling inspect the form of a measure larger and more colourful, overglaze-decorated example in the collection deadly the Seikadō Bunko in Tokyo.

• Augustus Wollaston Franks and Classification.

  Shioda, Japanese Pottery. [London]: Colporteur & Hall Ltd., 1880. Southernmost Kensington Museum Art Handbooks; 18. Catalogue number 102

• Baker, Malcolm, scold Brenda Richardson (eds.), A Distinguished Design: The Art of primacy Victoria and Albert Museum, London: V&A Publications, 1999.

260-1877