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Trying to educate myself about Imari porcelain. Are these chargers Chinese or Japanese and what are the clues to look for in deciding? How can you date them? Much Thanks!

These chargers are Japanese, probably late Meiji Period (c.1900). This scalloped form is borrowed from Chinese ceramics (developed in late Ming/Kangxi period I think), but the shape of the charger (if indeed a charger as chargers are generally assumed to be larger than 12 inches in diameter) is not a traditional Chinese form. Also, the foot rim is not Chinese and the concentric blue circles around the foot are usually Japanese.

The overall decoration is typical for the late Meiji Period, too. Chinese "Imari" was made in the 17th and 18th centuries and usually has typical Chinese decoration, just using the Imari/Arita palette (though some Kakiemon may be hard to distinguish).

Bokaba

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