Japanese Oribe Glazed Stoneware Dish by Kitaoji Rosanjin

An oribe stoneware square dish with four notched corners and up-turned edges made by Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959) circa 1950s. The Mingei style dish has a wonderful casual form with green glaze outlining the sharply shaped edges. The interior surface is covered with an iron-red persimmon glaze in a grid pattern drawn with free-hand. The base of the dish is incised with the artist's insignia. The original storage box tomobako bears the title Eight Inch Dish, Oribe, the artist's name Rosanjin as shown. The piece exuberates the folk art (Mingei) spirit in its slightly irregular hand-cut form and decoration that is rooted in Oribe tradition but with the addition of the persimmon glaze which was favored by Mingei potter such as Rosanjin himself and Hamada Shoji.
PROVENANCE: Joan B. Mirviss, New York, March 2013. With an original copy of invoice.
Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959) was the pseudonym for a noted artist and epicure during the early to mid-Showa period of Japan. His real name was Kitaoji Fusajiro. An artistic man with many talents, he has an extraordinary influence on Japanese art scene. For his complete biography, refer to source such as e-yakinomo and Rosanjin Net. According to the 2018 exhibition catalog of Kuroda Ceramics Co., Ltd on Kitaoji Rosanjin, in 1921, Rosanjin founded a restaurant for members only called “Bishoku Club (Gourmet's Club)” on the second floor of his gallery, where he began serving Kyoto-style food on his collection of ceramics, such as old Sometsuke, Aka-e, the Oranda, Old Seto, Karatsu, and Oribe. He started making his own ceramic after his collection was destroyed in the earthquake in 1923.