Akamaru Setsuzan, brocade flower-shaped plate with figures, birds and flowers

Even after a considerable number of years, the brilliance has not diminished and is still shining. On the other hand, in some panels, figures of people, flowers and birds, snow-capped mountains (similar to Mt. Fuji) and trees are drawn, which are like Japanese paintings. It is a colorful painting that is woven with brocade and color paints.

size ; diameter about 21.5 cm  height about 4.5 cm

The panels are large, and the largest fan-shaped panel has a tasteful design such as “a young samurai blows a whistle following a servant under moonlit night.” In other panel, flowers and birds are drawn with snow-capped mountains in the back.

The snow-capped mountains and trees are put together in one panel. Snow scenes also are drawn on works by Akamaru Setsuzan, so it seems that he had a fondness for his back name “Setus-zan” (雪山 snow-capped mountain)

In a completely different way, the back has an elaborate picture of a large fruitful pomegranate.

This work is a flower-shaped bowl, and the height of the foot is about 2 cm, which is slightly higher than the others, and it is deeply cut inward. It is a rare molding for this time. The back name is “九谷kutani / 雪山堂Setsuzan-do”.

creator of the work

Akamaru Setsuzan 赤丸 雪山 born in 1827, dead in 1897

Akamaru was one of the master craftsmen of kutani, Kanazawa, from the early to mid-Meiji period. He was active as a professor of porcelain painting at the Ishikawa Prefectural Laboratory and at Ijun-sha (painting factory) managed by Utsumi Kichizo (内海吉造).

In addition, since he was listed as a painter in the works of Inoue Shoten (井上商店) a pottery merchant in Daishoji, Enuma-gun, it can be said that his fame was high.

Mizuta Seizan (水田生山), one of the master craftsmen of Meiji kutani, was one of disciples of Akamaru.