About Satsuma in exhibition
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Satsuma A Tribute To George Ashdown Audsley And James Lord Bowes  The ware known as Satsuma faience is of a very light tint, ranging between greyish white and vellum. The pâte is generally hard and close in texture, so much so that it may be termed a semi-porcelain. The clay employed in its manufacture is evidently of a very refractory nature, and therefore capable, under strong heat, of resisting even a partial fusion. It is covered with a glaze composed of feldspathic materials and lixiviated wood-ash, but without the addition of borax or lead. The ware, after it leaves the drying-sheds, is burnt at a moderate heat into the “biscuit” state; it is then dipped into the glazing composition, and, lastly, fired, at a high temperature, in the grand oven. On cooling, unequal contraction takes place between the body and the glaze, and the result is, that the entire surface becomes covered with a minute net-work of fine cracks. ….The crackling of the thin transparent coatings presents countless angles of reflection and refraction to the light, and, as it were, retains it within itself, gaining a depth and richness combined. We can with assurance state, that in the entire range of Keramic Art there has been no surface produced more refined in treatment or more perfectly adapted to receive, and enhance the value of, coloured decorations, than that presented by the best specimens of Satsuma faience. G A Audsley and J L Bowes, Keramic Art of Japan 1881, pp165-6 Japanese ceramic art produced by George Audsley and James Bowes in 1875. These volumes are a landmark work and still a valuable reference. In addition to a thorough treatment of Japanese ceramics, there is also an introduction to Japanese arts in general. Audsley (1838-1925) was a renowned Victorian architect, an innovator in the design of pipe organs, and an art collector. Bowes (1834-1899) was, like Audsley, a member of the Asiatic Society of Japan and the Liverpool Art Society. Most of the works depicted in these volumes came from Bowes’s collection. Prior to the Meiji Period (1868-1912) the Satsuma province of Japan was famous for undecorated earthenware pottery much prized in Japan for use in the tea ceremony. However, once the country opened up for export to the West, a new wave of production began, which gradually became more and more elaborate and colourful. Characterized by the creamy, crackled paste described by Audsley-Bowes in rapturous terms above, there were two major schools of decoration. One, preferred by many collectors, was sometimes known as “Imperial Satsuma”. This term is misleading, in that this highly coloured style was not reserved for, or commissioned by, the Imperial court of the Shogun, but made for export to the West. However it was used to describe a considerable range of pieces decorated in a colour scheme restricted to raised jewel-like blue, red and turquoise enamels which were applied in thick, rich layers contained within bold gilt outlines. The effect was dramatic even if rather stiff and formal and in turn limited the subject matter to stylized, as opposed to naturalistic, flowers or symbols of Good Fortune (see pages 54 -57). In total contrast, there was another school of decoration in which skilled artists and draughtsmen depicted landscapes or scenes from Japanese everyday and courtly life in meticulous detail. These artists, the most famous of whom was Yabu Meizan, were first-rate miniature painters and their works are highly sought after today. In the larger potteries, less skilled Satsuma A Tribute To George Ashdown Audsley And James Lord Bowes artists carried on the tradition and there are large numbers of export pieces with landscapes or courtly scenes against blue and gilt grounds still readily available today. The majority of the pieces in this catalogue falls between these two styles. The palette is both more varied and more subtle than the thickly enamelled taste. The turquoise is still in evidence but used in conjunction with a soft green. The red has become burnt orange. Pinks, mauves and purples abound in the flowers along with sparing use of periwinkle blue and white. Apart from the textile pattern borders, the gilt outlines have disappeared and gold is used for foliage and sprinkled cloud bands. The subject matter, too, is different. Unlike the ‘miniature’ painters, no attempt has been made by these artists to capture recognisable landscapes or scenes from real life. In the few figural works showing the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, sages, warriors and mythological beasts, the scale is much larger. Nonetheless they are painted with great skill in the delicate drawing of fine detail, especially in faces and fabrics. Overall, however, the most common theme is the floral spray, with great emphasis on kiku (chrysanthemums) and peonies. There are also many depictions of birds. The works of nature are their greatest inspiration. Caroline Russett 2008 One cannot even hastily glance over the wide field of Japanese Art without being struck by the loving appreciation of the works of nature it displays. The Japanese artist is indeed an ardent student of nature; he watches her silent operations with keen perception, and notes her changes of mood and costume with loving eyes, until each detail of her marvellous handiwork, and each expression of her changeful face, becomes imprinted on his mind, to be transferred to every work he sets his hands to do. Ibid p 5 |