Tōkaidō plate, unknown maker from Japan

Artwork Overview

Tōkaidō plate
Tōkaidō plate
Tōkaidō plate
circa 1840, Edo period (1600–1868)
Tōkaidō plate , circa 1840, Edo period (1600–1868)
Where object was made: Japan
Material/technique: underglaze; Imari porcelain
Dimensions:
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 8.9 x 63.2 cm
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 3 1/2 x 24 7/8 in
Weight (Weight): 18 lbs
Credit line: Museum purchase
Accession number: 1981.0193
On display: Kress Gallery
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Images

Label texts

Exhibition Label:
"Images of the Journey," Jun-2005, Hillary Pedersen
The Edo period (1600-1868) in Japan was a period of relative social and political stability. Because of this peaceful atmosphere, travel and tourism throughout Japan increased; roads became safer, and economic stability led to increased discretionary income-more money could be spent on travel, rather than only on daily necessities. Along the well-known Tokaido-, the highway between the capital city of Edo and the cultural center of Kyoto, 53 stops became famous and were the topics of several print series, such as the famous 53 Stations of the Tokaido- by Hiroshige (see related prints in this exhibition). The 53 stations here are depicted in the form of a ceramic plate, each roundel containing one of the vignettes from this well-known series.

Archive Label 2003:
The first porcelain kilns in Japan were in Arita near a large kaolin deposit in what is now Hizen prefecture in Kyushu. The deposit was discovered by Korean potters brought to Arita in 1616 by Nabeshima Naoshige, feudal lord of the region. Products of the kilns were often called Imari ware because they were shipped from the nearby port of Imari to Europe as well as other parts of Japan. At first, the blue and white designs imitated porcelain from Ming dynasty (1368-1644) China, but gradually the subject matter broadened to include landscape and genre scenes such as those illustrated in contemporary Japanese woodblock prints. In this plate, the roundels contain vignettes from Hiroshige’s popular Tokaido series published by Hoedo in 1833-34.

Exhibitions

Images of the Journey
Hillary Pedersen, curator
2005
Painting, Scraping, Carving ... Asian Ceramics
Michael Bass, curator
1998
Brosseau Center for Learning: The Visual Arts of East Asia
2018
Brosseau Center for Learning: Japanese Sculpture
2018
Intersections
Cassandra Mesick Braun, curator
2022–2027
Intersections
Cassandra Mesick Braun, curator
2022–2027

Resources

Audio

Audio Tour – Bulldog Art Tour
Audio Tour – Bulldog Art Tour
When I first looked at this piece, like many others, I was originally drawn to it because of the deep blue tones and satisfying pattern. However when you look closer, you begin to see intricate details representing a journey, with connections between the circles, trees, rain, and people. The circles spiral outward from Kyoto in the center to Edo at the edge. This is Tōkaidō plate. This piece is reminiscent of prints made by Utagawa Hiroshige based on the 53 stations of the Tōkaidō. From dawn at Nihon bridge to arriving at Kyoto. During this time period, Tōkaidō was a road that stretched about 319 miles between Edo which is now modern day Tokyo and Kyoto. On Tōkaidō road, there were 53 stations, and the circles on this piece represent those stations. From what is on the plate, we see that it is a time of travel and stability. The transportation that we see happening here seems to be peaceful. Although not shown on the surface of this piece. The Tōkaidō has a history of being used as a device for control. During Japan’s edo period, edo became the new capital.This made Tōkaidō the most important of five routes established as it was from Kyoto to Edo. You may ask how this is used as a device for control. During this time period, Daimyo were feudal lords and the Tokugawa shogun was head of government. The Tōkaidō was used as a major means of transportation between the Daimyo and the shogun. The Daimyo’s families were held hostage in Edo, they were then forced to travel along Tōkaidō road and the other four major routes during this time. Of course this was later resolved with the Meiji restoration which brought down the power and influence of the Tokugawa shogun. How did this happen? This happened because Ieyasu Tokugawa appointed Edo as the new capital after becoming the shogun. He was able to gain power because of the collapse of the Toyotomi government. Although this sounds bad, Tōkaidō plate really represents a time of economic stability. This is represented in Tōkaidō plate not only by boats and other means of transportation but also the deep blue in the background and solid connections between each circle. It is estimated at the time that Edo had a population of around 1 million people and was the largest city in the world. That is truly what Tōkaidō plate is about, a time of travel and success. This was Connor with another Bulldog Art Tour.