Bowl with Reticulated Designs

Ceramics with reticulated (cut-out) designs were first produced in Japan in the early 17th century, probably by émigré potters from Korea where this decorative technique had a long history. The famous Kyoto potter Nonomura Ninsei also used the technique in the mid-17th century, thus popularizing it among artisans within Japan's cultural capital. The floral and vegetable motifs seen here are known as mon-chirashi, or scattered crests, referring to the stylized family crests that became popular among all levels of society during Japan's Edo period (1615-1868).