Gu-Shaped Vase

Seifū Yohei III mined the repertoire of Chinese vessel types, from ceramics modeled after ancient ritual bronzes to shapes developed in the Yuan (1279–1368) and Ming (1368–1644) dynasties. His designs tended to be formal and restrained, often featuring creamy white glazes suggestive of the hue of Ding ware and green glazes resembling Longquan ware. Many of the vases created by Yohei III and IV were made with reference to and in emulation of Chinese ceramics in both form and glazing. One of the most recognizable vessel types is the guping, or kobin in Japanese. These are relatively slender cylinders that flare at both the mouth and foot. They often have orbs or drumlike forms partway up the vessel. Generally called “beakers” in English, gu appeared as early as the Neolithic period (c. 8000–2000 BCE) in China. Originally made of clay and then of cast bronze during the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–c. 1046 BCE), they were used as wine vessels and in ritual settings. Like many other bronze vessel types, they were reproduced in porcelain in later centuries as part of antiquarian movements; these later versions were used as vases. Those copied by the Seifu studio likely included examples from the Qing dynasty, some of which are rather wide relative to classical examples.