The plate belongs to a category of ceramics called Zakki (雑器), which means simple, ordinary, everyday utensils in colloquial Japanese. Works from this category were not made by renowned masters for the rich and famous. Rather, they were made by highly skilled but “ordinary” craftspeople who poured their hearts into making treasures such as these available to all. While I deeply appreciate works created by master artisans, I equally love extraordinary Zakki works.

This plate is a spectacular Zakki. The artisan painted a chrysanthemum from a worm’s-eye view ????, looking upward from underneath the flower, where the petals attach to the stem. His well trained hand conjured up an unusual and delightful view of a flower on the plate.