Antique Japanese porcelain

Feudal Japan only mastered the art of porcelain making in the early 17^th century, and was therefore a long way behind its Chinese neighbour. The art was acquired in the 1590s by abducting potters from Korea who were later able to make use of Japanese clay deposits that were discovered in 1616. The “father of Japanese porcelain” can be identified as Rhee Sambae, who was Korean.

Most 17^th century Japanese porcelain was blue-and-white, the blue decoration being created from the use of cobalt, which tended to “bleed” during firing to produce a blurred effect. This was often disguised by red and gold paint applied over the glaze. Later wares avoided bleeding by the use of purer cobalt, and this in turn enabled more elaborate decoration to be applied.

Another typical feature of early Japanese porcelain is the spur marks that are visible on the underside of plates and bowls, these being caused by supports in the kilns during firing. The techniques used in Chinese kilns were different, so spur marks are a good indication that a piece of this date is Japanese.

Decorations were often based on folk history and culture, a typical pattern being the “three friends”, namely plum, bamboo and pine.

Japan established an export market very early on, with pieces being produced especially for the European (especially Dutch) market, some bearing the monogram of the Dutch East India Company.

However, a strong domestic market also existed, with designs that copied those of Ming Dynasty China. The potters and decorators followed the Chinese trend away from blue-and-white and towards enamelling, with three basic types emerging that are known as Kakiemon, Kutani and coloured Imari.

Kakiemon

Kakiemon pieces were generally milky white with a matt surface that was delicately enamelled, sometimes with a black outline. Early pieces used bright turquoise and iron red colouring, in imitation of Chinese designs, but the palette soon developed to include azure blue, orange, primrose yellow, and green. Designs included landscapes, birds on branches, and flowers on shrubs. Earlier pieces, i.e. 17^th century, tended to cover most of the surface, but those dating from the 18^th century were sparser in coverage and more refined.

The wares diversified as time went on, to include covered jars and food bowls, bottles, and figures of humans and animals. Although Kakiemon pieces were originally produced for the personal use of the regional “daimyo” (tribal chief or warlord), from the early 18^th century pieces were produced for export, and these tended to reflect Western rather than local taste, with some pieces being made to order. However, Kakiemon pieces in general reflected Japanese rather than Chinese inspiration.

Kutani

This was not the case with Kutani wares, which were derived from late Ming pieces. Some Kutani pieces, especially those dating from the second half of the 17^th century, are among the most highly prized items of Japanese porcelain, although they are not easy to date precisely and they can only rarely be linked to a specific kiln site.

Kutani pieces are usually white with a grey tinge in their raw state, but with a milky white glaze that is velvety to the touch. The enamel painting is rich and harmonious, including vivid greens, yellows and aubergines, and shades of red varying from cherry to warm brown. The designs have a Chinese look to them, including birds and insects, flowering trees and shrubs.

Later pieces that are also given the “Kutani” label, made during the mid to late 19^th century, tend to be less refined with poorer workmanship being apparent. The designs are stiff and derivative with smudgy colours.

It is quite possible that many Kutani potters and decorators moved when their kilns closed towards the end of the 17^th century, setting up shop instead in the Arita district. Many Arita pieces of this period bear the general appearance of Kutani wares, using similar colours, although the designs are somewhat overdone.

Imari

The name “Imari” is often used for pieces made at the Arita kilns, because Imari was the port of departure for exported goods. Early Imari pieces were blue-and-white but colours were added later, especially pale yellows and greens on foliage designs.

The most exclusive Japanese porcelain was made for the Nabeshima court (at Arita) during the 17^th century. Quality control was at such a high level that anything with the slightest blemish was destroyed. The family recruited the best potters and decorators in Japan and, once they had worked at the Nabeshima factory, they were forbidden to work anywhere else. The result was porcelain of supreme quality, showing technical excellence such as in the complete absence of fuzziness in under-glaze painting.

Other excellent pieces were produced at the Hirado kilns, which were active from the late 16^th to the 19^th centuries, although the later pieces show the greatest refinement. Vases and incense burners were produced that were of highly intricate construction and so delicate that they pose the question of how they survived being fired, let alone remaining intact to the present day.

The tradition of skilled craftsmanship in porcelain, both in construction and decoration, has been passed down through many generations in Japan. Many modern pieces show similar attention to detail and quality.

Collections of antique Japanese porcelain can be seen at many of the world’s greatest museums, including the British Museum in London, the Ashmolean in Oxford, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Cleveland (Ohio) Museum of Art.

© John Welford