Japanese Porcelain

Japanese Porcelain

In Japan porcelain was not produced until the beginning of the 17th century. The Korean potters who were moved forcibly to Japan in the Korean campaigns of general Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) discovered porcelain clay in the vicinity of present-day Arita in the southern Japanese island of Kyùshù. Porcelain was fired in multi-chamber climbing kilns adopted from Korea.

The Japanese potters manufactured porcelain for the local market until the beginning of exports via the Dutch East India Company, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, V.O.C.) around 1657.

Blue and white decors imitated Chinese or Delft models but developed their own Japanese aesthetics. Imari porcelains named after Imari, the export, the export harbour on Kyùshù, are painted densely in underglaze blue with the overglaze colours iron-red and gold. in their splendid effect Imari decors were particularly in keeping with the tats of European baroque. Typical of Kakiemon porcelain is the fine white material, the sparing, often asymmetrical decoration in clear, transparent overglaze enamel colours. (Source: The Royal Porcelain Collection, Zwinger, Dresden, Germany)

The objects for sale are listed in the categories below,

please click on a page to view the objects.