Bowl 19th century

Seifu Yohei crafted this bowl in nineteenth-century Japan, a time when the country’s artistic traditions were intersecting with growing international trade. The bowl is an object of beauty, but it also embodies a moment of cultural exchange. Its meticulous design features traditional Japanese motifs—the figures, the geometric patterns—executed with incredible skill. Yet, this level of craftsmanship also reflects a society where artistic production was highly organized, with workshops and patronage systems shaping what was made and how. This bowl can tell us about the social structures of its time. Who was commissioning such work? How did artists like Yohei navigate their roles within that society? How did the opening of trade routes change the way artists thought about their work? By delving into historical records, we can better understand the complex forces that shaped this object.