221 - MAKUZU KOZAN I: A RARE AND SUPERB PUDDINGSTONE BROWN-GLAZED PORCELAIN VASE

MAKUZU KOZAN I: A RARE AND SUPERB PUDDINGSTONE BROWN-GLAZED PORCELAIN VASE By Makuzu Kozan I (1842-1916), sealed Kozan Japan, c. 1900-1910, Meiji period (1868-1912) Finely potted, the globular body rising from a short, gently spreading foot to a cylindrical neck with a narrow circular mouth and subtly incurved rim, the sloping shoulders set with a pair of sinuously modeled handles. The exterior covered overall in a striking brown glaze, enlivened by scattered mottled areas resembling the distinctive conglomerate structure of puddingstone. The glaze stopping neatly above the foot to reveal the milky-white tone of the porcelain body beneath. The foot rim impressed with the seal KOZAN. HEIGHT 17.5 cm Condition: Excellent condition, with no restorations or repairs visible under UV light other than one very fine hairline to the interior rim (not visible from the outside). Makuzu Kozan I (1842-1916), also known as Miyagawa Kozan, moved from Kyoto to Yokohama in 1870, where he established his celebrated ceramics workshop. His early works, often inspired by earlier Japanese and Chinese ceramics, quickly found favor with Western collectors, while his technical virtuosity also earned him great acclaim in Japan. In 1896, he was appointed Artist to the Imperial Household. In his later career, Kozan increasingly turned to porcelain and drew extensively on Chinese ceramic traditions, transforming historic glaze effects into highly individual modern works. The present vase is a particularly rare example, its unusual brown glaze deliberately imitating puddingstone, a conglomerate admired in China and itself reproduced in Qing porcelain. The naturally irregular, stone-like mottling demonstrates the remarkable range of glaze effects achieved at the Makuzu workshop. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related puddingstone brown-glazed porcelain vase by Makuzu Kozan I, dated c. 1900, 27.5 cm high, also sealed Kozan, in the British Museum, registration number 1981,0601.1. Compare also a closely related puddingstone brown-glazed porcelain vase by Makuzu Kozan I, dated c. 1905, 43 cm high, in the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, accession number 2021.12.1.A-.B.