Meiji Rectangular Kutani Platter with Gilt Kinrande and Moriage Peonies

Details

Description

Imagine a piece that instantly catches the eye and becomes the centre of attention. Before you is a magnificent antique … Read more Imagine a piece that instantly catches the eye and becomes the centre of attention. Before you is a magnificent antique Japanese tray, where the main focus is a lush floral composition. The surface blooms with magnificent peony flowers, a traditional Japanese symbol of wealth, prosperity, and nobility. Large buds tightly intertwine with graceful foliage, creating a dynamic design in shades of deep blue, iron-red, turquoise, and pink. The rim imitates expensive silk brocade, while the exterior is delicately decorated with a trailing grapevine motif.

The rarity of this piece lies in its complex execution. The flowers are crafted in the relief moriage manner: the petals are sculpted from overglaze enamels for a three-dimensional effect. All free space is filled with a solid wash of matte gold in the Kinrande style, requiring immense skill and low-temperature firing. The glaze features a deep, naturally formed network of crazing, with the dust of time organically penetrating the micro-cracks to prove its authentic age.

This massive rectangular tray is made of heavy, dense earthenware (length 30.8 cm, width 22.4 cm, weight 1722 grams). The uneven height of the rims (5.5 cm to 5.2 cm) proves it was completely hand-potted. The base shows two marks from firing spurs and a microscopic production firing fissure, a true technological marker of antique kiln processes.

The base bears five characters in iron-red: Dai Nihon Kutani Zo (Great Japan, made in Kutani), dating the item strictly to the Meiji era (1890–1910). Stylistically and technologically, the piece is a brilliant example of the development of the traditions of the outstanding master Kutani Shoza (1816–1883). The highest class of work indicates it was created by a circle of Master Shoza’s followers in one of the leading workshops in the Kanazawa or Terai area (Ishikawa Prefecture).

The investment appeal of such works of art is steadily growing. The Western antique market is experiencing a shortage of authentic masterpieces due to the Japanese Sato-gaeri movement, where collectors purposefully buy up and repatriate high-class Meiji items. Finding a Kutani tray of this significant size, weight, and Kinrande quality is increasingly rare, making it a highly desirable acquisition for serious collectors. See less