Stem Cup with Bee and Dragon Design, White Porcelain in Underglaze Blue

Eiraku Hozen excelled at copying the late Ming dynasty underglaze blue porcelains “Shonzui” that had been commissioned as tea ceremony wares by Japanese tea masters, and this work is a stellar example of those skills. Conversely, the bee and dragon motif combination was a Hozen innovation, and the 18-character inscription written in circular frames around the interior of the cup edge constitutes a verbal debate, pitting the bee against the dragon. The interior center is decorated with the character “ju” for longevity, written in white letters against a blue ground. It is said this cup was commissioned to honor the 61st birthday of Hashimoto, an aesthete and a government official in Nara.