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Author Topic: Shiwan Poo Ware Pottery (Poo You-shi) and Connection to Japanese Sumida Gawa, and Banko Wares  (Read 308 times)

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GeorgeI

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I have found four Shiwan ceramic vases over the past couple of months. Two that I have already shared (one and two).  I do not know what the odds are, but was very surprised to find a very similar piece to one already shared. The differences between the two are size, glaze colors, coarseness of clay and the motifs on one side.  Because of the similarities, and having made two similar vases, it seems even more likely that the potter was influenced by a specific event that remains a mystery.





Jan-Erik Nilsson at Gotheborg talks about a Poo Ware made to copy Japanese Sumida, and named after a Shiwan potter,  Poo You-she.  Saying, "Sumidagawa is a softer, raku pottery created in the early 1800s. Poo ware was the product of a Chinese Shiwan kiln potter Poo You-she, whose patterns were similar to those of Sumida".

All the online websites that reference Poo ware and Poo You-shi are copy and pasted from the Gotheborg website. I can not find any reference to this ware, the potter or any known examples of this potters work in any of my Shiwan ceramic books. I thought perhaps this information was orally passed on to Jan-Erik while visiting the Shiwan kilns in 2005. So have sent him a message asking and waiting to hear back. 

These three vases share the same "fish shaped" potters mark, so they did all came from the same family kiln.  It may be completely wrong of me to try and connect these three vases specifically to this mystery Shiwan potter, Poo You-shi.  Would just like to share these for comments, and especially ask if anyone has seen this fish potters mark on any pieces before and perhaps made a connection to a specific kiln/potter. Any help is greatly appreciated.



Putting aside for now a possible connection between these vases and Shiwan potter,  Poo You-she, they are a little unique for Shiwan ware in their raised relief sculpting and do seem to be a Chinese versions of the Japanese Sumida ware.  I found a couple of Shiwan potters that did create pieces resembling Sumida. Like, Huang Guzhen, and Huang Yun Ji, of which both stamped their works.



Shiwan potter, Huang Guzhen



Shiwan potter, Huang Yun Ji
« Last Edit: March 24, 2021, 09:29:17 pm by GeorgeI »
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GeorgeI

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Here is a brush washer/brush rest where again it seems the potter was influenced by the Japanese Sumida and Banko pottery styles of the same very late 19th to very early 20th century.

5" tall in a imitation Tang Dynasty sancai glaze.  About 1900.

I really like this one very much :)





« Last Edit: June 24, 2021, 04:35:45 pm by GeorgeI »
George

GeorgeI

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Have not found any scholarly reference about Poo ware or Poo You-shi. Neither are mentioned in any of my Shiwan books.

I do believe pieces like these were influenced by Sumida and Banko pottery, but the Shiwan potter and Poo ware is a bit of a mystery.

For now it feels like referencing this particular Shiwan potter or Poo ware is speculative with no supporting written references or known pieces by him.

Would like to add a comment from Jonas Gunnarsson from the Facebook group, Collecting Japanese Ceramics and Arts

"The transcribed name "Poo You-she" seems to be done in the Wade-Giles system, which is not used that often today. I'm far from an expert in Chinese transcription, but I think it would be something like "Pú Yu-Shi" or "Pú Yu-Zhi" (with some diacritic signs added for the first name) in Pinyin. I tried to search for this name, and some other variations, but couldn't find anything. I also looked for the standard spellings of the name in Chinese, in combination with 石灣窯 "Shiwan ware", but without any luck".

I also tried variations of Pú Yu-Shi and Pú Yu-Zhi, but like Jonas, I have not had any luck.

Maybe some day I will discover which Shiwan pottery kiln this potters mark is from.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2021, 09:36:34 pm by GeorgeI »
George

GeorgeI

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"The transcribed name "Poo You-she" seems to be done in the Wade-Giles system, which is not used that often today. I'm far from an expert in Chinese transcription, but I think it would be something like "Pú Yu-Shi" or "Pú Yu-Zhi" (with some diacritic signs added for the first name) in Pinyin. I tried to search for this name, and some other variations, but couldn't find anything. I also looked for the standard spellings of the name in Chinese, in combination with 石灣窯 "Shiwan ware", but without any luck".



I think Jonas Gunnarsson from the group Collecting Japanese Ceramic Arts has solved the mystery  and excludes any possibility of my vases having been made by anything called "Poo ware", which I think there is no such thing as mentioned on the Gotheborg website.

I have been focusing to much on making a connection between a Poo ware and Poo You-she mentioned on the Gotheborg website. Which Jonas figured out is in Wade Giles system and should actually be, "Pú Yu-Shi" or "Pú Yu-Zhi" whom he has learned is actually another name for the famous Shiwan potter, Pan Yushu.

After finding a couple of other Shiwan potters like Huang Guzhen, and Huang Yun Ji who's works resemble Sumida,  perhaps Sumida pottery was more of an influence on late 19th and early 20th century Shiwan pottery.

As a newbie Shiwan collector, I need to learn more about this connection between Sumida and Shiwan.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2021, 12:58:05 pm by GeorgeI »
George