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Subject:Re: Japanese Ko-imari Charger ??? more info plz
Posted By: Robert Mon, Feb 09, 2009
Hi Gerry,
You are correct. It is a Japanese Imari porcelain charger. The "Ko" in Ko-Imari just means "old" Imari. Imari was made in and around Arita, Japan, and exported, mainly to Europe by the Dutch from the port of Imari.
The cobalt blue underglaze stylized floral form in the center of your dish, perhaps trying to copy a Japanese Mon or family insignia/crest, looks to be transfer printed or stenciled. Actually a form of tranfer printing was used in Japan as early as the latter half of the 18th century as shown by some early examples in the Shibata collection. So, it's presence doesn't always indicate a late piece. The marks on the base of your dish are called spur marks or spur scars which result from the metal or ceramic supports used to hold the large dishes during firing to prevent the base from sagging or warping in the kiln. Generally, these spur marks, anywhere from one to four or more, are found on the bases of Japanese but not on Chinese porcelain dishes. Your charger I think dates to the latter half of the 19th century, around 1870, as shown by the way it is decorated and by the color and consistancy of the red enamel. It is a nice example of later Imari production.
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