Bottle with orchid decoration

Date17th-18th century

Label TextKorean ceramics are often seen as a centerpiece of Yanagi’s inspiration for the Mingei movement. For Yanagi, white ceramics made during the Joseon dynasty were particularly influential because of their simplicity. This work was once owned by Yanagi himself. He gave it to Elizabeth Bayley Willis, a champion of Mingei in Northwest America. It was then purchased by Elizabeth’s nephew, Frank Bayley III, an avid collector of Korean art, who donated it to SAM.

Object number2021.26

ProvenanceCollection of Yanagi Soetsu, Tokyo, Japan; to Elizabeth Bayley Willis (1901-2003), Seattle, Washington; sold to her nephew, Frank S. Bayley III, San Francisco, California; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2021

Photo CreditPhoto: Scott Leen

Exhibition HistorySan Francisco, California, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Collector’s Choice, Collector’s Voice, 2010. No cat. no., reproduced p. 8. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Exceptionally Ordinary: Mingei 1920-2020, Dec. 14, 2019 - Sept. 6, 2021.

Credit LineGift of Frank S. Bayley III

Dimensions9 x 6 in. (22.9 x 15.2 cm)

MediumStoneware with underglaze iron decoration