A 17th Century Japanese Blue and White Dish

A 17th Century Japanese Blue and White Porcelain Dish, Arita Kiln c.1670- 1690. This Japanese dish depicts clams of various sizes among aquatic plants, the largest clam is intersected by the two concentric lines that define the division between the well and the rim of the dish. The back is decorated with three sprigs of grasses and what are probably aquatic plants. The base has three spur-marks where the dish was secured during the firing process. Most of Japanese art is based on designs taken from nature. Clams and other bivalves are common on Japanese porcelain but I haven’t seen a design like this depicting so many clams. A type of freshwater clam, Shijimi is common in Japan and is an important ingredient in Japanese cooking. However, the clam also has a further significance in that they are considered a symbol of martial fidelity. The two shells fit perfectly together but not with any other shell.

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