Collection: LOTUS on Porcelain (by Iwasaki)
Iwasaki Tsunemasa also Kan-en (岩崎 常正 / 灌園, 1786–1842) was a Japanese botanist and artist (as well as a zoologist, entomologist and samurai of the Tokugawa shogunate). His book, "Honzō Zufu" is a rare and valuable compendium of plants dating from the late Edo period. Some of his woodblock art has been reprinted by Kew Gardens and is available here.
Woodblock printing is a technique used widely throughout East Asia. Each page or image is created by carving a wooden block to leave only some areas and lines at the original level; it is these that are inked and show in the print, in a relief printing process. Carving the blocks is skilled and laborious work, but a large number of impressions can then be printed
This porcelain lotus series includes lotus buds flowers and seed pod details from some of Iwasaki's larger works which I have infused into the glaze using and technique where images are printed using iron oxide and then fused into the glaze through an additional third low temperature firing
Nelumbo nucifera 莲花 Lián Huā, known by its common name in English as Lotus has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to calm the spirit, stop bleeding, and support digestion. Various parts of the plant are used: the lotus seed (莲子, lián zǐ) is valued for nourishing the heart and kidneys, the lotus leaf (荷叶, hé yè) is used to clear summer heat and the lotus root (藕, ǒu) is a popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine, enjoyed both raw and cooked for its crisp texture and health benefits.