Brilliant porcelain across the Pacific Ocean – Old Noritake: Beauty Bridging East & West

[Inscription] Hakuundo Shūbei

[Year of Manufacture and Artist’s Name] The Meiji Era / KATŌ Shūbei II

Born the eldest son of KATŌ Shūbei I, KATŌ Shūbei II (1848 – 1903) was a potter from the village of Minami-Shingai in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, and frequently worked under the name Hakuundō. Shūbei skillfully produced both traditional Japanese blue-and-white porcelain designs and western-style blue-and-white designs by using different painting techniques for each style. The stately beauty of these pieces causes the observer to consider the innate technical expertise found in Seto, a ceramic-producing industrial region with a long history.