Bowl with Bamboo Leaf Design

Ogata Kenzan, one of the great masters of painted ceramics in the Edo period (1615–1868), produced a distinctive style of freely brushed grasses, blossoms, and birds as decorative motifs for pottery. His pieces were noted for their perfect relation between design and shape. He often collaborated on the decoration of pottery with his older brother, Ogata Korin (1658–1716), after whom the style known as Rimpa (Korin + pa meaning “school”) was named. One of a set of five bowls, this piece was made originally as a serving dish for food.