A selection of ceramics through the ages (5 second delay) Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology The Collections:
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  • Museum Accession No.: EA1978.535
  • Catalogue No.: 195
  • Object type: Cricket box
  • Kiln/Location: Kakiemon, Arita
  • Period/Date: 18th century
  • Dimensions: H. 12.0 cm, D. 13.0 cm
  • Provenance: Reitlinger gift
  • Description: Cricket box. Circular cage tied with string on three feet. Centre of thick base unglazed. Shelved rim unglazed inside for lid. Red, blue, green and black enamels with gold. Thick moulded black bands at lip and base and round middle. Upper sides divided into minute panels by black stripes, each panel with interior decoration in red and green. Lower sides decorated with three finely-drawn hanging wisteria between the strings, painted in red and blue. Lid unglazed on outer rim and pierced with one blossom, one half-blossom and two petals between strings, and decorated with sprays of wisteria.

    The shape of the upper part must reflect the wooden or metal original. Cricket fighting was a popular sport, especially amongst gamblers. It is most unlikely that this porcelain example ever held a cricket; it may have been used as a koro. For a similar example with different enamels, see Idemitsu, 1990, pl. 475; and for another, see Toguri, 1991, no. 191.

  • Exhibited: OCS, 1956, pl. 182
  • Similar Example:
  • Illustrated:
Main View
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Detail of Decoration
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