ARITA, TENMEI PERIOD 1781 Japanese Porcelain
A Rare Dated Tenmei Period Blue and White Japanese Porcelain Dish, the Base with a Four Character Tenmei Mark 天明 and First Year 元年 in a Square and of the Period.
SOLD
- Condition
- In perfect condition.
- Size
- Diameter : 21.5 cm (8 1/2 inches)
- Provenance
- N/A
- Stock number
- 24136
- References
- For a dish of this pattern with the same mark but dated to 1780 (not 1781, I am not sure why that is) : Complete Catalogue of Shibata Collection (Kyushu Ceramic Museum,2003) page 3627, plate 3627.
Photos
Information
The Tenmei Period lasted from April 1781 to January 1789, the name 天明 (Tenmei) means dawn. The name was created to mark the enthronement of Emperor Kōkaku.
The dating of porcelain like the present piece has proven rather contentious over the last couple of decades. Rare dated examples like this dish provide critical points of reference and help dispel the delight in the rather self-consciously vague notion of the `lost century`.