17th Century Japanese Ko-Imari Chrysanthemum-Form Dishes, Early Edo Period, Set of 4

Details

Description

A rare and refined set of four Japanese Ko-Imari porcelain dishes from the early Edo period, 17th century, each molded … Read more A rare and refined set of four Japanese Ko-Imari porcelain dishes from the early Edo period, 17th century, each molded in the elegant form of overlapping chrysanthemum petals. Produced in the Arita kilns of Hizen Province, these early Japanese porcelains exemplify the sculptural delicacy and painterly restraint that define the finest Ko-Imari wares.

Decorated in a classic iroe (polychrome) palette, each dish features hand-painted floral motifs in iron red, aubergine, green, and cobalt blue over a finely molded chrysanthemum blossom. The reverse is adorned with plum branch detailing in underglaze blue and enamel, and each foot bears a square fuku (福) or auspicious-style mark, typical of early Japanese export porcelain.

A closely related example appears in the Shibata Collection (Kyushu Ceramic Museum), one of the most authoritative private collections of early Japanese porcelain. Another closely related example was exhibited at the Toguri Museum of Art in 2017. A similar set of five dishes achieved $4,375 at Christie’s in 2018.

This set represents a vanishingly rare survival—both sculptural and painterly, and still remarkably intact.

Dimensions: Each approx. 6.5” x 5.25”
Provenance notes: Closely related examples in the Shibata Collection (Kyushu Ceramic Museum) dated 1650–1660. A dish of similar palette and motif—though of a more irregular trilobed form—was exhibited at the Toguri Museum of Art in 2017 as part of “Rediscovering Masterpieces of 17th Century Ko-Imari, Part I”, and attributed to the mid-17th century (Edo period, Kokutani style). A set of five similar dishes, dated to the 19th century, was sold at Christie’s New York in 2018 for $4,375, highlighting continued collector demand for this rare and sculptural form. See less