Ko Imari Oranda-jin Hexagonal Hakukaku Mukuzuke c.1800 A deep octagonal bowl, mukuzuke, or choku, decorated with eight panels containing figures of orand-jin Dutchmen in various poses and involved in a number of activities. Some carry canes or cudgels and are perhaps involved in some sort of martial activity, whilst others carry a dove, a chatusbo (tea-jar) and a ruyi sceptre, auspicious objects...

An Arita porcelain small bowl with barbed lotus style lobed rim, a namasu, typically used in Japanese cuisine to serve various pickles. Potted in mid 17C transitional Chinese style without a foot-rim as such, but an unglazed ring, kodai. The interior of the bowl painted in ko-sometsuke style. One half painted with Su Shi’s “First Ode to the Red Cliffe”, divided into twelve columns reading from right to left...

An Arita rectangular form dish decorated with an elaborate enamelled Lotus arabesque set against a yellow ground with a central reserve with a Chinese style landscape. The reverse painted with waves and landscape elements and a longitudinal nien hao six character mark for the Emperor Chenghua. The dish dates to the late 18th century circa 1770-1800. The lotus with yellow ground immitates contemporary Chinese Imperial porcelain of the Qianlong period...

A nagazara or long dish dating to the late 18th or early 19th century with a central motif of a Chinese style landscape framed by a pattern of spirals and flower-heads, Asters or Chrysanthemums a deconstructed version of a contemporary Chinese Qing dynasty pattern (see Diana Cargo etc). a staple of the Chinese export trade to South East Asia, produced both at Jingdezhen and at provincial kilns in South China...

A very fine sometsuke dish of scalloped octalobed form painted with a mon form central motif of a symmetrically arranged pair of leaping carp. Framed by a continuous band of botan karakusa, Peonie lotus scroll, within which are reserves containing, dragons, Ryu, in clouds and a gilt rim, kin-beni. The reverse decorated with hagi-karakusa, vine pattern and a six character mark for the Chinese Emperor Jiajing. The quality of the painting is of the highest quality...

A very fine sometsuke dish of scalloped octalobed form painted with a mon form central motif of a symmetrically arranged pair of leaping carp. Framed by a continuous band of botan karakusa, Peonie lotus scroll, within which are reserves containing, dragons, Ryu, in clouds and a gilt rim, kin-beni. The reverse decorated with hagi-karakusa, vine pattern and a six character mark for the Chinese Emperor Jiajing. The quality of the painting is of the highest quality...

A very fine sometsuke dish of scalloped octalobed form painted with a mon form central motif of a symmetrically arranged pair of leaping carp. Framed by a continuous band of botan karakusa, Peonie lotus scroll, within which are reserves containing, dragons, Ryu, in clouds and a gilt rim, kin-beni. The reverse decorated with hagi-karakusa, vine pattern and a six character mark for the Chinese Emperor Jiajing. The quality of the painting is of the highest standard...

A porcelain dish from the Nagasaki area, so not strictly “Ko Imari”, meticulously painted with an elaborate Leiwen border and a stylised Chinese style landscape in a light blue gosu. The reverse painted with three Lotus flowers with trailing Acanthus type scrolls in a contrasting dark blue gosu with a seal for the Kameyama kiln...

A dish and cup with a stylised suhama, shore-line, rim decorated in somenishikide style with a pair of lively galloping horses in a sansui, water and rock, landscape, with mountains in the background and a stream in the foreground. The dish dates to the late Mid Edo period, and probably the Meiwa era...

A namasu or serving dish of unusual quadrilobed form with scalloped suhama style rim; a stylization of a wave washed beach. An auspicious form referencing Horai-san, the isle of the Immortals and therefore a wish for a long life. The bowl is decorated with a central mon of a stylised Lotus motif, perhaps also containing elements of the aoi-mon, and karakusa. Surrounded by four panels containing an unusual four toed Water dragon emerging from stylised waves...

A nagazara of conventional rectangular form decorated somenishikide style, a combination of underglaze blue, sometsuke, and, nishikide, enamelled decoration. Nishiki literally means brocade. In this case a dense diaper pattern made up of repeating and contrasting cells of Karahana against an iron red ground and five petal flowers, presumably, ume hana, Plum flowers against a striated green ground, usually used to suggest pine needles...

A nagazara of conventional rectangular form decorated somenishikide style, a combination of underglaze blue, sometsuke, and, nishikide, enamelled decoration. Nishiki literally means brocade. In this case a dense diaper pattern made up of repeating and contrasting cells of Karahana against an iron red ground and five petal flowers, presumably, ume hana, Plum flowers against a striated green ground, usually used to suggest pine needles...

A good quality deep bowl on a relatively high foot-ring decorated in a full Imari pallette, sans aubergine enamels, and decorated with a curiously constructed set of three reserves in underglaze blue with a central stylised Chrysanthemum (or possibly a Lotus, or fusion of the two) with assymetric stylised vine like scrolls surrounding a light iron red wash with gilt karakusa vine ground...

A bowl, hachi, of kiku-gata, moulded Chrysanthemum form, decorated to the interior with low relief kiku-mon, stylised chrysanthemum flower heads. The narrow panels partly painted in underglaze blue with a gilt lozenge diaper pattern inset with swastikas, and brocades inset with various contrasting motifs of kiku-mon, hanabishi-mon, and matsu-mon (a view of the end of a Pine branch). The remaining four double panels with kiku-mons and Peony and Chrysanthemum sprays. The design an auspicious wish ...

A dish of scalloped rim form of six-sun size decorated with a central motif of a bouquet of Cherry blossom wrapped in the traditional manner for formal presentation with a sheath of washi paper, tsutsumi, shaped into a horn and tied with cord. The rim of the dish decorated with auspicious motifs of gobenka and cho butterflies in the typical Imari three colour palette dating to the Kyoho period circa 1710-40. The reverse decorated with ribbon ties and trailing flowers. The dish is in good cond...

A dish of scalloped rim form of six-sun size decorated with a central motif of a bouquet of Cherry blossom wrapped in the traditional manner for formal presentation with a sheath of washi paper, tsutsumi, shaped into a horn and tied with cord. The rim of the dish decorated with auspicious motifs of gobenka and cho butterflies in the typical Imari three colour palette dating to the Kyoho period circa 1710-40. The reverse decorated with ribbon ties and trailing flowers. The dish is in good cond...

The dish has an unusual square form with indented corners and a raised almost vertical rim which suggests that it was probably intended to be used for the serving of sashimi, sliced raw fish. This type of dish is described in Japanese as a shihou-sumioshi sara. By the late Mid Edo period sashimi had been growing in popularity being prepared by professional chefs, and was served both in aristocratic and in wealthy households and Ryokan. The somewhat surreal landscape contains a pair of Cranes,...

A dish of plain everted form measuring seven suns in diameter and decorated in somenishikide style with a traditional kacho-ga pattern of a pair of Butterflies and a Rock Peony. An auspicious pattern symbolising harmony and prosperity. The reverse decorated with scattered Peony leaf sprigs and the base is plain. The dish dating to circa 1780-1800. The reverse decorated with auspicious stylised Chinese clouds and a four character Fu Ki Cho Sun mark. A single spur mark to the base. The dish meas...