A Very Large 17th Century Vase and Cover

A magnificent large scale seventeenth century Imari vase and cover, decorated throughout with flowers and foliage in gilded and polychrome glazes all articulated by black scrolling motifs and cartouches.

Though there are many types of Imari, the Western concept of this school of porcelain is associated specifically with the type of Imari produced and exported in large quantity during the second half of the 17th century; a variety known as Kinrande. Kinrande Imari is coloured porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze and red and gold overglaze, a colour combination not seen in China at this time (traditional Ming dynasty coloured porcelain used predominantly red and green, most probably down to a scarcity of gold in China at the time). Gold was abundant in Japan in those days.

The subject matter of Imari is remarkably diverse and ranges from flowers and foliage to birds, people and scenery. Some Imari designs such as the Kraak style, were adopted from the Chinese; but most designs were uniquely Japanese and inspired by the country’s rich tradition of painting and costume design.