An Unusual 17th Century Japanese Porcelain Dish

Kanbun (1663–1673) or Enpô Era (1673 - 1681)

A Japanese Blue and White Porcelain Dish Ko-Kuntani Type, Arita Kilns, Kanbun 寛文 (1663–1673) or Enpô 延宝 era (1673 – 1681). This highly unusual dish depicts a warbler bird at night on a branch of a gnarled old prunus tree. The night-time scene with large snowflakes is enclosed within a snowflake. This 17th Century Arita porcelain dish depicts stylised snowflakes, sometimes referred to as a snow wheel. The design is of course fanciful as the true form of a snowflake had yet to be determined.  The back is decorated with a meandering flower scroll design and a mark within a square. There are also five spur-marks, indicating where the dish was supported in the firing. The glaze has a pale blue-green tint and as is common with the Ko-Kutani type the glaze is evenly crazed to the front and back.

SOLD

Condition
In excellent condition, very minor scratches.
Size
Diameter 21.8 cm (8 1/2 inches)
Provenance
N/A
Stock number
26339

Photos