An Unusual 17th Century Japanese Porcelain Dish

A Japanese Blue and White Porcelain Dish, Arita Kilns, Kanbun 寛文 (1663–1673) or Enpô 延宝 era (1673 – 1681). This unusual dish depicts a warbler bird at night, it is leaning forward on a branch of a gnarled old prunus tree. The design included massive stylised snowflakes as well as banded-hedges, a popular sight in Japanese gardens. This night-time scene has been made with the use of wax resist. This can clearly be seen in the of what might be partly melted snowflakes or perhaps clouds above and below the bird. The back is decorated with three grass designs and a mark within a rectangle. There are also four spur-marks, indicating where the dish was supported in the firing, despite this the middle of the dish is somewhat uneven. The glaze has a blue-green tint. With a modern Japanese wood box.

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