Ishizara plate with 'umanome' (horse eye) design

Made in Seto, a well-known centre for ceramic production in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, inexpensive ‘ishizara’ plates such as this were made in large numbers. This particular design, known as ‘umanome’ or ‘horse eye’, was common on plates used at inns along the Tokaido Highway between Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo) in the late Edo and Meiji periods. The slightly battered appearance of the plate is typical for this type of well-used pottery. Early twentieth century exponents of the ‘mingei’ (Japanese folk art) movement such as potters Shōji Hamada (1894–1978) and Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966) were particularly inspired by the simple materals and designs of Seto ware.