MAKUZU KOZAN: A PAIR OF LARGE CERAMIC VESSELS WITH COVERS By Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916), sealed Makuzu zo Japan, late 19th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Thickly potted, the round vessels supported on a concave base, finely modeled and painted in vibrant colors on a crackled beige ground with pinecones molded in unglazed relief to the rim of the vessel, and the covers modeled with a stem and leaf. The body brightly glazed and decorated in polychrome enamels with various fruits, fish, and flowers. Signed to the underside of the lid of each vessel within a gourd-shaped reserve MAKUZU zo [made by Makuzu (Kozan)]. HEIGHT 19.2 cm, DIAMETER 29.7 cm Condition: Losses to the finials of the covers. Otherwise Good condition with typical wear, firing flaws, firing cracks to the base. Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916), also known as Miyagawa Kozan, was a potter who moved his ceramics studio from his hometown of Kyoto to the port city of Yokohama in 1870. His early works copying styles and forms derived from earlier Japanese and Chinese ceramics soon found favor with Western buyers and his business quickly expanded. Kozan’s work was also much admired within Japan and achieved special notoriety after the Meiji Emperor touched one of his vases at the First National Industrial Exhibition in 1877. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related smaller single ceramic vessel by the same artist, illustrated in Pollard, Clare (2002) Master Potter of Meiji Japan - Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916) and his workshop, p. 22, fig. 8.