Japanese Antique Edo Imari Porcelain Sometsuke Sakanagata Ozara. Sakana refers to the fish shape, Ozara the large size. This Sakana has a great mirror image of goldfish lips at the mouth that is also seen as the mouth of the fish which is its reflection in the water. It is decorated in an image of bamboo in a river or perhaps even a pond or fish tank.

It is marked with the kanji of 'Gan;. It is the Japanese reading of the Chinese reading 'Wanyu'. Wanyu is the Chinese porcelain mark in the Kangxi period of 1661-1722. Literally, it can mean a toy object or precious jewels such as jade and pearls. -from Imari of Hizen by Emiko Gilmore. Additionally per her book on page 141, it notes the mark dates to the late Edo period of 1810-1860.

It has been well kept and in excellent condition with no cracks or chips and minimal surface wear.

Size Length 9.75 inches or 24.76 cm, Width 7 inches or 17.78 cm, Height 1.5 inches or 3.81 cm. Weight 478 grams or 1.05 lbs.

'Sometsuke: The Beauty of Blue and White', June 17, 2017 - September 3, 2017

Sometsuke is a Japanese term referring to the technique of decorating ceramics with brush-painted designs in underglaze cobalt blue on white ground. The transparent glaze is applied on top of this painted bisque before firing, producing a vivid shade of blue that is known in China as qinghua or literally ‘blue flower’. In Japan. it is called sometsuke or literally ‘with dye’ because the color resembles dyed indigo blue. Because of its versatility, the technique is used widely across Asia, with the range of blue and white ceramic styles reflecting the varied regional characteristics of different countries. Though this technique utilizes only one color, the results are rich in personality and variety due to the shading and brushstrokes. This exhibition presents diverse works of the genre.

-From the archives of shows at the Kyoto National Museum:-

Imari porcelain 伊万里焼

Imari porcelain is the name for Japanese porcelain wares made in the town of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū. They were exported to Europe extensively from the port of Imari, Saga, between the second half of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century. The Japanese as well as Europeans called them Imari. In Japanese, these porcelains are also known as Arita-yaki '有田焼'

Imari was simply the transshipment port for Arita wares. There are many styles of Imari, including Nabeshima and Kakiemon. It was the kilns at Arita which formed the heart of the Japanese porcelain industry.

Though sophisticated wares in authentic Japanese styles were being made at Arita for the fastidious home market, European–style designations of Arita porcelain were formed after blue and white Kraak porcelain, imitating Chinese underglaze 'blue-and-white' wares, or made use of enamel colors over underglazes of cobalt blue and iron red. These wares often used copious gilding, sometimes with spare isolated sprigged vignettes, but often densely patterned in compartments.

Imari or Arita porcelain has been continually produced up to the present day. See more history of Imari on Gotheborg's and through the several links to other Imari sites in our Favorites Links on our Homepage and so much more in many books that can also be found on the internet.