Antique Japanese Arita Blue and White Baluster Jar Late 17th Century

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Description

Up for sale is an unusual and rare antique Japanese blue and white* baluster jar decorated with freehand brushwork of … Read more Up for sale is an unusual and rare antique Japanese blue and white* baluster jar decorated with freehand brushwork of leaf and flower motifs probably under the influence of Chinese 'Transitional' style of the late Ming Dynasty, the neck and shoulder decorated with the bands of leafy scrolls and lappets, the underglaze blue overall covered by a network of transparent crackle glaze; good condition with age consistent wear, stains and some firing imperfections, a line of crackle glaze on the base seemingly developing into the interior base, see last two photos for details
Private Washington DC collection
11 1/4 in. (28.5 cm) high

*Porcelain was first produced in Japan in the early 17th century at kilns in the vicinity of Arita on Kyushu island. Underglaze-blue (blue and white) wares such as this jar were made initially, the decorations of which combined elements of various Chinese wares previously imported to Japan. Japanese blue-and-white wares soon developed a distinctive style characterized by freely painted forms, graded ink washes and open spaces in the composition. They were exported to Europe in large numbers from 1657, following the collapse of the Ming dynasty and the disruption to the production of porcelain at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. See less