Oil Plate

Description

Oil plate
Japan
Edo period (1615–1868)
Glazed stoneware
Museum purchase for the
Paul Leroy Grigaut Memorial
Collection, 1969/2.85

The surface of this plate is distinguished by “crackling,” a textured
effect created when there is a dramatic difference between the rates
at which a surface and the pigment applied to it expand when fired
in a kiln. It is commonly seen in oil paintings when, over time,
the painting’s support (canvas or wood) expands at a different rate
than the painted surface (usually tempera or oil). While crackling in
painting is often seen as an undesirable by-product of the passage
of time, in ceramics like this the effect was likely an immediate and
intentional result of the materials used. The artist’s mastery of this
technique can be seen in the way the crackling effect is contained
to the perimeter of the plate.

(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)