We found this set of five small dishes in Kyoto in the summer of 2024, at 古美術やかた, one of those places where I can quite happily lose track of time.

I noticed the aubergines first.

They are rendered in a soft blue against the white porcelain, with blurred edges that make the motif feel almost abstract. The rectangular shape is simple but not severe, with a slight movement to the rim that keeps the dishes from feeling too formal.

The set came together in its wooden box, wrapped in a bright yellow cloth. Written on the lid is 染付茄子皿 — sometsuke nasu sara, referring to blue-and-white dishes decorated with aubergines.

The maker is 井上佳久, Inoue Yoshihisa, a Kyoto ceramic artist associated with the Sumeigama tradition. What I like is that I did not know any of this when we first saw the set.

That is often how I collect. I am usually attracted to the object before I know the name behind it. The research comes afterwards.

There is something about the aubergine motif that I particularly like here. It is such an ordinary thing, something familiar from the kitchen and the table, but reduced to these soft blue forms it becomes something quieter and almost graphic.

And because there are five, the set immediately feels made to be used.

That matters to me.

I like objects most when they can become part of a meal, a season, or a particular table setting. I can imagine these appearing again and again with different things served on them, changing slightly depending on what sits beside them.

That is usually when I know something has really become part of the collection.

井上佳久 · Inoue Yoshihisa
染付茄子皿 · Sometsuke Nasu Sara
Set of five porcelain dishes with blue underglaze decoration
Kyoto, Japan
With wooden box

Acquired in Kyoto, Summer 2024
古美術やかた