Japanese Meiji Period Imari charger
£325
Dating to the late 19th century (Meiji period) this is a 12 1/2 inch Arita Imari porcelain small charger with scallop edge and form, decorated with and underglaze blue and iron red with the addition of gold within the vignettes. The border band of blue is punctuated with four main vignettes in a fan shape containing butterflies and moths, the other smaller decorative motifs in the border would appear to be stylized chrysanthemum. The centre of the plate has a recognised garden scene of planter with peony and chrysanthemum and fence/bridge details. The main body has recurring panels with four containing lion dogs (prowling) and four containing we believe a representation of a green Pheasant (the national bird of Japan) As with all porcelain decoration of this era there is a lot of symbolism tied up in the images.
The underside of the charger has also been decorated in underglaze blue , there is a single character mark on the base.
Condition: this is one of the best condition pieces of this type of export porcelain we have found, not only is the quality of the decoration of a much higher standard but it is in excellent condition on an undamaged body.
Size: 12 1/2 inch diameter (32 cm) and unpacked weight 1.4 kg