An important & exceptionally fine pale ruri (lapis lazuli) glazed Ai-Kakiemon moulded origami-shaped dish, the extraordinary sharply sculpted form creating a sumptuous trompe l'oeil of masterfully moulded and painted cherry blossoms spilling out from folded origami paper
Arita, Kakiemon kiln, Hizen province, Japan
Edo period, Enpō era
circa 1670
MEASUREMENTS
17.0cm long; 13.6cm wide; 3.0cm high
CONDITION
In excellent, original condition with no damage to the porcelain body. Original, slightly darkened edges from firing and areas of kiln grit adhesion to the glazed surface. A museum-quality example.
DESCRIPTION
A masterpiece of form and decoration, with an identical example featured on the cover of the Shibata catalogue, this sharply sculpted origami-shaped dish is an iconic example of ruri ko-Kutani at its zenith. The front and back are coated in a velvety pale lapis lazuli glaze which showcases the exquisitely painted cherry blossoms and leaves cascading over the folded-paper form. The reverse with four very finely drawn characters which may be translated to read "made in the year of wealth & honours".
STORAGE
With a traditional Japanese paulownia wood storage box and silk ribbon tie.
An important ruri glazed Ai-Kakiemon moulded origami dish, c1670
PRICE UPON REQUEST.
BARASET HOUSE FINE ART
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COMPARABLE EXAMPLES
An identical dish in the Shibata Collection at the Kyushu Ceramic Museum (Arita, Japan), illustrated in Complete Catalogue of Shibata Collection (2019), no.1487. Featured on the cover of the Shibata Catalogue. The present example and the Shibata example were likely decorated by the same hand.
Another identical dish with very similar kiln grit adhesions fused into the glaze, in the Toguri Museum of Art (Tokyo, Japan). The Toguri example also likely decorated by the same hand as the Shibata Collection example and the present example.