A mallet shaped vase with phoenix-shaped handles from our Foundation’s collection will be on display at the Japanese gallery of Tokyo National Museum.
　Many pieces of celadon fired at the Longquan kilns during the Southern Song dynasty were shipped across the ocean to Japan. Among these, those that the Japanese found beautiful eventually came to be called “Kinuta” and remain to this day. The reason why celadon, known as Kinuta, remains to this day in Japan is because it has been handed down from person to person, passed to the next generation. Preserving something by passing it on to the next generation through human hands is “Densei” in Japanese. Historically, Chinese ceramics have spread all over the world, but Japan is the only country where they have handed down over generations without being buried in the earth.
Among these, many vases known as “vase with phoenix-shaped handles” in Japan are exceptionally fine examples unparalleled in the world. While many of these vases remain in Japan, they share the same basic shape, but each differs in the balance between the body and neck, the shape of the phoenix, and more. Even if you have seen other phoenix handles pieces, we encourage you to take a look at our Foundation’s vase with phoenix-shaped