Japanese Kutani dish, 19th century, decorated with a landscape scene, with a pagoda amongst pine on a rocky shoreline, with a small islet and distant mountain visible across the water; the cavetto with a green band of liewen scrolls, the upright rim divided into ten alternating panels containing either a half-chrysanthemum head with scrolling foliage, or yellow diaper ground with stylised flower, the reverse with four large purple flowerheads and foliate garland in green, a wide yellow band around the footrim and a central 'fuku' mark in green.
Dimensions:
Diameter: 31cm. (12 1/4in.)
Condition:
Break to rim neatly restored
Notes:
Kutani ware (kutaniyaki九谷) is a style of Japanese ceramic originating from the Kutani region (Kutani literally translates to ‘nine valleys’), in Ishikawa Prefecture on the west coast of Honshu. Its production can be categorised into two distinct periods: Ko Kutani (old Kutani) and Saikō Kutani. The term ‘Ko Kutani’ refers to ceramics mostly produced during the 17th and 18th centuries, characterised by bold patterns which often incorporate natural elements or landscape scenes, and a vibrant and dark colour palette (known in Japanese as gosai-de 五彩手, which refers to the blue, green, yellow, purple and red commonly used). Saikō Kutani is a term used to refer to pieces created after a revival of Kutani wares later in the 19th century, after initial production ceased in the 1840s. Though ‘Kutani’ refers to a geographical place, it is now recognised that much ‘Ko-Kutani’ was actually produced around Arita. Like ‘Kakiemon’, the categorisation now refers to a distinctive style rather than a specific kiln location.
