Dragon-Spout Kettle Study – Shin Bijutsukai Framed Art Print
Drawn from the pages of *Shin Bijutsukai* (新美術海), the Kyoto design compendium overseen by Furuya Kōrin and printed by Unsōdō in the early 1900s, this plate departs from the series' usual textile focus to render a single decorative object: an ivory-glazed kettle with a dragon-head spout and beaded metal handle, its body adorned with peach-toned cloud roundels. Set against a near-black ground that fades to deep maroon at the edges, the vessel emerges with sculptural, almost photographic presence. Unlike the flat, repeating patterns typical of the portfolio, this study captures form and dimension — the curve of the spout, the weight of the lid, the texture of cast metal — making it more akin to a craft-design reference plate than a textile swatch. It suits interiors centered on Japanese tea culture, ceramics, or metalwork, and would sit naturally in a kitchen, tea room, or alongside a curated display of Asian decorative arts. Presented as a framed print with strong tonal contrast and a polished, gallery-ready finish, this piece appeals to collectors of chanoyu (tea ceremony) objects, dragon iconography, or the applied-arts side of Meiji-era design publishing — a quieter, more sculptural counterpoint to the pattern-heavy plates elsewhere in the series.
