A good Hizen-yaki, Arita kilns octagonal blue and white porcelain bowl. Shonsui ‘three friends if winter, decoration in roundels among shape patterns. A single Minogame decorates the interior center. A Fuku mark appear center of the bottom, inside the unglazed ring foot. 19th century. Good condition. 5 inches at widest points. Little more than 3 inches at highest points.

A Japanese Arita dish, in Kakiemon style, of rhomboid shape with rounded, spreading sides rising from a circular foot. The inside is decorated round the sides with a continuous 'classic scroll' boldly moulded in relief, and below with a design painted in pale blue, red, green, black and pale yellow enamels. The rim is glazed brown. The exterior is painted in enamels with sprays of camellia and pairs of flying birds...

Early 19th century small Japanese porcelain Imari plate with enamel decoration of a boy wearing haori (short jacket) with a basket full of greens on his back sitting on a buffalo and playing a flute. The subject is bokudo - a theme of a perfect peace of mind, and one of the stages of a journey towards Buddhahood. Underglaze blue decoration in cavetto and on the outside...

Hard porcelain dish decorated in underglaze cobalt blue. The scene represents a pavilion in a garden raised on the edge of a lake, several characters animate it. Probably scholars. The designs are artistically stylized in a very Japanese spirit. In the sky the clouds are drawn in a style typical of this period. The edge is glazed in brown. On the reverse appears the mark "Fuku". The quality is excellent, the blue is bright, the designs precise and the firing perfect...

Arita molded hard porcelain dish. This is one of the first productions for export which were made in small quantities around 1650. It was at this time that the ceramicists of Arita began to cover the edges of some of the porcelain with brown enamel, it is not a trivial gesture because the addition of this brown which is an overglaze enamel alone requires additional firing, which represented an additional cost and above all an additional risk of breakage...

A very nice quality Japanese chawan, rice bowl, of conventional form dating to the Kyoho period, c.1716-1736, decorated with an auspicious pattern, kisshon-ga, featuring a ring motif containing auspicious clouds, painted in a combination of gilt and iron red wash, and Karahana, so called Chinese or “Tang flowers”, painted in a striking pallet of iron red, green, yellow enamels and gilding. The base of the bowl decorated with a Karakusa arabesque inset with Lotus flowers...

A finely painted Kakiemon dish of scalloped form painted in under-glaze blue with a pair of auspicious Hoo birds amongst clouds, harbingers of good fortune, with stylised Peony branches. The reverse painted with a classic lotus scroll and a square fuku seal. Dating circa 1680-1700 and a product of the Kama-no Tsuji (Kakiemon) kiln in the Nangawara valley, note the fine pin point spurs and carefully trimmed footrim. The dish measures approximately 21.5cm in diameter, seven suns...

Ca. early 1800s

These dishes have an underglaze blue design of treasure ships (wishes for good fortune). The reverse of each is painted with a stylized wave design encircling the foot and a double gourd mark with two characters is painted on the bases. Acquired in the 1960s from an American collection. There are minor nicks to the glaze on the rims, otherwise good condition – no cracks or repairs.

Diameter: 6 7/8 in., Height: 1 in.

Wonderful pair of Kutani ware porcelain rabbits, one is white and one is light brown, both with areas of gold in which each hair has been painted, pink eyes and inside of ears, the light brown rabbit has it's mouth open and displays a row of tiny teeth and a red tongue, great detail and attention to modeling , Meiji Period (1868-1912). Size: 5 1/2" high x 7 1/2" wide x 6 1/2" deep.

The shallow dish with a roundel containing a very finely painted coiled dragon, Danryū mon, within a double circle. The cavetto is decorated with a stenciled trellis or Chinese lie-wen design against a pale ruri background. Within the foot-rim is found an apocryphal Chinese Ming Chenghua reign mark.

See Shibata vol II #612, for another example, dated to 1690-1710.

Approximately 17.4 cm diameter. In perfect condition...

The size of Plate: 9 3/8" Dia x 1 1/2" High. Very nice Japanese Antique Kutani Porcelain Plate. The plate is made from porcelain. It has brown band around the plate with red (Aka) underneath. The gold work on the band. The center has design of poet at the top of tree trunk with brush and paper on his hand. Poet's Kimono with gold work. The Plum tree is nicely painted. The ground and grass have gold works on them. Sky clouds are done with gold work as well...

Exceedingly rare and very large Japanese Meiji Period Imari Porcelain Vases Adapted as Lamps. These great vases are one of a kind, not to be seen or found again. Gorgeous, rich, colorful glazes featuring flowers and birds with a charming fence design, all featured on a translucent white glaze. Height: 41 inches, 104 cm.

Porcelain plate made in China for the 17th century Japanese market. Blue and white design of 2 boats in a misty bay with land outcroppings and a mountain pavilion. The underside of the plate is decorated with three thin blue rings and two flowers. The edges of the plate and the many small irregularities in the firing are especially prized in this type of ware.

"Ko-sometsuke ('old blue and white') porcelain was produced specifically for the Japanese market during the final decades of th...

A dish of plain everted form measuring seven suns in diameter and decorated in somenishikide style with a traditional kacho-ga pattern of a pair of Butterflies and a Rock Peony. An auspicious pattern symbolising harmony and prosperity. The reverse decorated with scattered Peony leaf sprigs and the base is plain. The dish dating to circa 1780-1800. The reverse decorated with auspicious stylised Chinese clouds and a four character Fu Ki Cho Sun mark. A single spur mark to the base. The dish meas...

A lidded Japanese Imari porcelain vase, finely painted with landscape cartouches and Ho-o birds among brocade pattern and peonies. With 19th century French bronze mountings, the pedestal composed of four nicely modelled elephant heads and heart shaped bordure, which is repeating on the rim ring. Condition: fine, only cover inside with a tiny rim chip (see picture no. 8). Dimension: total height: 31.8 cm.

An Imari three colour export squat round teapot of small dimensions decorated in a rich Imari pattern of various shaped panels of lobed and comma form set against a dark blue brocade style ground with Chrysanthemum flowers and gilt vine arabesques. The reserves plain and iron red inset with Karahana, Tang flowers, and Irises. Such small teapots were based on Chinese Yixing originals, as the Japanese had no tradition at the time of making tea using a tea-pot at the time. The teapot measures app...

A Japanese porcelain “100 Boys” plate, 18th century.

This unusual plate was made in Arita between 1720 and 1760. It shows a hall crammed with boys, an elevated youthful figure surrounded by attendants, two of which are carrying fans. To me it looks like the interior of a temple with children depicting the abbot and gathering of monks. Above the Abbot can be found a sign, Hyakushindo, “The Hall of 100 Children.” ( Baizitang in Chinese ).

This design is copied from a Chi...

This is a rare late 18th century porcelain model of an elephant from the Arita Studio. 8" x 11.5", it is nicely decorated with blue medallions and a pale blue glaze.

Condition: Excellent, no chips, cracks or repairs.

The size of Dish: 4 5/8" Dia x 1 " High. This is beautiful Japanese Ko Imari Porcelain Dish with fine painting of Ho-O bird design with treasure design done in three windows with another window of flower design by gold and Shu (Japanese red) color. The center of dish with Jurojin head in Sometsuke. There is marking of Seika Nensei (Chenghua Year Made) on the back of dish. Back side has Ho-0 bird and Reishi (Chinese mushroom) design. The condition of dish excellent other than one spot at the rim ...

Porcelain bowl with underglaze iron brown decoration. Seventeenth or eighteenth century. Diameter : 11,7 cm. H : 4,9 cm. Condition : Perfect

An early Japanese blue & white plate produced in Arita at the end of the seventeenth century. The centre features a roundel carefully painted with a vase of flowers on a verandah. The unusual vase perhaps based upon a Dutch example. The ‘Kraak’ style border after Chinese Ming design.

For a similar plate see ‘Ko-Imari Porcelain from the Collection of Oliver Impey, Barry Davies Oriental Art, 1997’ where it is noted that sherds of similar examples have been found at the Kakiemon kil...

Unusual porcelain bowl in the shape of a double gourd with two separate compartments. The large section is for washing brushes; the small section may be used as a brush holder.
The outside of the large bowl is decorated in underglaze blue with pavilions in a landscape with mountains and a river. The edge is faceted and painted with cloud-like shapes. The outside of the smaller extension is decorated with stylized flowers. Ribbed knob on top (19-petaled chrysanthemum).

Hizen ware, Ari...

A five colour dish decorated with an auspicious pattern showing a dragon chasing a flaming pearl and a hoo bird chasing a thunderbolt. Integrated within the design are the Three Friends of Winter, shochikubai, and a pair of iron red ogee form lotus medallions each containing a precious pearl tama, surrounded by pear blossom, nashihana, symbols of longevity and prosperity. A central motif of a pair of Pomegranates, zakuro, symbols of fertility. The reverse decorated in underglaze blue and iron...

The size of Bowl: 7 1/2" Dia x 3 1/8" High. Most unusual and attractive Japanese Ko Imari Sometsuke Porcelain Bowl. The bowl is made from fine quality porcelain as well as the fine glazing. It has pretty design of Shiranuki design and flower design outside which used blank area with nice contrast. Shiranuki Design is special work on the design with blue background where white design area has the blue underglaze knocked out. Inside has very intricately painted Senbiki(lineworks) flower design wit...

Very thin Hirado saucer, decorated in Kakiemon style with birds and flowers in orange, red, blue, green and puce, 19th century. C f marks in app. six in Lawrence: Hirado, Prince of Porcelains Diam:”4 ¾ /12 cm Condition: Fine hairline at blue flower and star crack, not possible to render visible on photos

An Arita porcelain whistle in the form of a reclining Chinese boy. Decorated in Kakiemon-type underglaze blue, green and iron-red enamels. Circa 1680 ~ 1700.

A similar whistle is illustrated in Christiaan J. A. Jorg’s ‘Fine & Curious, Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections.’

Approximately 7.4 cm long. Perfect condition.

Please study the photographs.

Within the UK payment by bank to bank transfer is preferred.

Customers resident in China...

A Fukagawa Koransha Arita bottle vase, the glaze a very pale pink with decoration of grey leaves and three red cherries. Orchid (Koransha) mark in underglaze blue, early 20th century. Height "7/ 18 cm. Condition: slight wear to the gilt rim of the neck.

A small eggshell-thin dish with a decoration of two birds and two fan-shaped panels - one with a landscape, the other with a poem (?), all in a variety of colours, 19th c. Wing of one bird has been painted as to conceal a glaze bubble, an indication of age. Overglaze red marks: Hirado san, Mikawachi. Diameter "5 ½/ 13 cm. Condition: fine.

A finely potted Hirado dish featuring three figures wearing capes and carrying heavy packages upon their backs descending down a high mountain trail. Inferred by the small gnarled Pine trees on the wayside. Although no particular scene is identifiable the figures are in Hokusai “style”. The reverse is painted with a Karakusa arabesque and has a single spur mark within the base of the footring. The dish dates to the late Edo period and the middle of the 19th century. The dish measures 18...

A set of five Sake cups of tapering cylyndrical form, nozoki, decorated in underglaze blue with a diaper border, renzuku mon, to inside of the mouth, and an iron red diaper ground inset with shaped reserves or mikomi, each containg a gilt outlined and enameled Suisen, the Japanese Narcissus with Chrysanthemum demi florets in iron red and gilt with matsuawabishi mon in underglaze blue flanking them. The cups date to the end of the late Mid Edo period. The cups measure between 5.5cm and 6cm high ...

A fine Arita sometsuke fish shaped dish carefully modelled in the form of a Carp, koi-gata o-sara dating to the late 17C. See “The Trakatori Collection” Kyushu Museum 2020 for a set of similar dishes there dated 1670-1690’s. This example probably dates from the 1690’s, the Genroku era. Fish shaped dishes were a popular accompaniment of the tea ceremony, Chinese ko sometsuke examples made specifically for the Japanese market date from the early 17th century, Tianqi era. The Koi was ...

Japanese Blue & White Imari Porcelain deep Serving Dish, Ca. 1920, deep flat bottom dish for serving food, 12" diameter, 2 3/4" high, with underglaze blue decoration of mountain, pine tree and Japanese style house. Wide border of flowers in blue transfer design on inside and outside the rim, transfer blue mark on the bottom. Stained old chip 1/2" wide on the foot rim, and some scratches on top of the dish.

A scalloped form dish with a very unusual design it would seem adapted from a Chinese precedent decorated with the “Hawthorn pattern”. The outer register decorated with a cracked ice ground, Hyouretsu-mon, with scattered plum blossom, baika, inset with snowflake roundels, yukiwa, with Autumn grasses, and hexafoil niche style reserves with precious objects, cash and scrolls tied with ribbons. The centre decorated with hyouretsu-mon ground inset with two pairs of overlapping snowflake ro...

A Japanese Arita Export porcelain spoon tray after a design by Frederik Van Frytom. Within the foot-rim is found an eccentrically written apocryphal Chinese reign mark, a feature seemingly of most wares the with Van Frytom designs. The shape is taken from an European silver dish and the porcelain clearly intended to be exported to the West.

A spoon tray of this design was included in a Christie’s auction in 2009.

Approximately 13.2 cm long.

Please study th...

Japanese Imari Porcelain Lunch box/Jubaco with three(3) compartment with lid, 7 3/4" high with lid, 5 1/2" diameter and 2 1/8" high, 5 1/2" diameter for each compartment, Ca. 1920, decorated with typical Imari colors with character of "Happiness". Two(2) flake shallow enamel chips in red character area which is normal wear and tear over the years, overall in good condition.

A rare, attractively enamelled, figure of the Bodhisattva and Japanese "Goddess of Mercy", Kannon.. Unusually, she is seated on a large boulder inhabited by a writhing white glazed dragon. This item was made in Japan in the Meiji period, during the 19th or early 20th Century Condition: two very minor losses - a chip to one of the dragon's horns and a small chip to the bottom of the dragon's tail. 24 cm / 9.5 inches high. For additional pictures, please view our Liverpool shop ...