Vintage Imari and Satsuma Floral Porcelain Vase - A Pair

Details

Description

Placed side by side, these two porcelain vases represent distinct yet harmonizing traditions of Japanese ceramic artistry—one shaped by the … Read more Placed side by side, these two porcelain vases represent distinct yet harmonizing traditions of Japanese ceramic artistry—one shaped by the porcelain heritage of Kyushu's Arita region, the other by the earthen grace of Kagoshima’s southern coast. Though differing in origin and approach, their pairing reveals a seamless cohesion.

The shorter vase, standing at 8¼ inches, is a work of Imari Ware, formed from Arita’s prized kaolin clay. Its hexagonal body and gently flared, ruffled rim carry a sense of structured elegance, softened by an exuberance of pattern. Each of its six white-glazed panels showcases a rotation of motifs: golden and orange blossoms paired with cobalt leaves in black-handled vessels; crisp blue florals rendered with crosshatched texture; and bright orange daisies offset by curling teal foliage. Around the neck, a lattice and scrollwork pattern encircles the form, finishing with a rim delicately edged in gold.

By contrast, the taller 10-inch vase of Satsuma Ware is crafted from shiro-tsuchi—an ivory-hued clay native to Kagoshima. Its bulbous body and smoothly flared lip is more traditional. The decoration, however, is vivid and lifelike: blue birds resting on flowering branches, surrounded by bursts of red, pink, and leafy green.

Imari’s precision and ornamental rhythm plays against Satsuma’s pictorial ease, yet the shared palette—creams, golds, deep blues, and reds—creates a visual tether. Both are steeped in floral imagery, allowing them to echo rather than compete, complement rather than contrast in various interior design schemes See less