Komori (蝙蝠・こうもり)

Bats. Gorham (1971:200) claims the use of bats as a symbol of future happiness is based on Chinese ceramics. Dower (1971:88) explains that this is because the second ideograph in the word bat can be read as fuku, which "can be written with an ideograph meaning good fortune." Bats were commonly paired with peaches on Chinese ceramics and this motif also appears on Japanese ceramics, though it is often executed in distinctive ways.

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Suyehiro Sometsuke Doban Gohan Jawan (rice/soup bowl with cobalt transferprint fans)

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Side of Sometsuke Doban Tsuru Komori Gohan Jawan (rice/soup bowl with cobalt transferprint bat and crane design)

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Exterior Profile View

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