Rare Set of Five Ko-Imari Blue and White Porcelain Dishes

A Rare Set of Five Ko-Imari Blue and White Porcelain Dishes, Arita Kilns c.1640-1655. Made for the domestic market, these five dishes are moulded in the form of vine leaves. Dishes of this type were made in sets of five or ten for the Japanese tea ceremony and other social gatherings. A complete set of five dishes is rare. They would have been used for offering sweets or other delicacies to guests. The ribs of the vine leaves radiate from a raised circle and are quickly applied, with single strokes of the brush from the central rib of the leaf to the edge. The shading is applied with a much broader wet brush, some strokes overlap, some run. This wet brush work shows up the unevenness in the clay, the folds, scratches, and the texture of fine drying clothes are visible, highlighted by the application of watery cobalt blue. These quirks, unevennesses and mishaps suit Japanese tastes; they are humble, human and without pretence. The base has a four character Ming mark, the edge of the foot has a stylised wave border.

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