Japanese Satsuma Natsume Kinkozan

From our Japanese collection, we are delighted to offer this Japanese Meiji period Satsuma Bowl by Kinkozan. The earthenware bowl with pinched rim extensively decorated on both the exterior and interior. The bowl with a cobalt blue base glaze decorated to the borders with gilt shippo-tsunagi (linked-cash) with scattered medallion roundells. Around the exterior two elongated scenes are featured, one with boys playing games in a courtyard with the other featuring seated scholars in full dress both with raised enamel decoration. The interior features a central scene with Samurai warriors in training fully armoured with swords in a courtyard with landscapes scenes to the background. The central scene bordered by further stylised shippo-tsunagi type decoration with a greek key rim border. The bowl signed to the base Kinkozan dating to the Meiji Period (1868-1912) circa 1900. Shippo-Tsunagi (linked-cash) or seven treasures, is a traditional Japanese geometric pattern that combines four ellipses in a circle. These ellipses repeat outward to then create more circles, symbolising eternal peace and happiness. Kinkozan the Kinkozan family have been associated with pottery dating back to 1645. They went on to become the largest producer of Satsuma ware by one individual company, from the end of the 19th century until 1927 after which the factory closed. By the 1850s Kobayashi Sobei (1824-84), Kinkozan Sobei...

Signed Kinkozan 金光山 From our Japanese collection, we are delighted to offer this Japanese Satsuma Vase by Kinkozan. The vase is potted in globular form with a tightly pinched neck and rolled top rim beautifully decorated with four highly detailed individual panelled scenes. The first a Geisha baring a gilt basket with her child playing with a fan infant of a gilt fence encompassing blossoming foliage and bamboo plants. The second scene depicts two birds, a Red Headed Japanese Wood Pigeon and a white dove in the foreground with a similar gilt fence with blossoming kiku flowers (chrysanthemums). The third scene is painted as a bustling village community with multiple figures going about their daily jobs, a central Palanquins can be seen with two figures carrying a seating figure. To the background a mountainous river landscape can viewed bordering the top left corner. The final scene appears similar to the opposing one with birds swooping high above a polychrome Japanese...

A large Japanese ceramic vase from the end of Meiji period circa 1890-1910s by Kinkozan (1645-1927). One of the largest studio manufacturers of the export ceramics at the time based in Kyoto. In the typical style of satsuma made at the turn of 20th century, the vase is elaborately decorated with a rather unusual kinran-de (gold paint) and green enamel highlight on a mottled brown background. The painterly decoration depicts a large seasonal floral arrangement in a circular fashion. Besides the obviously superb craftsmanship, what sets this particular vase apart from many lower quality and mass-produced pieces is its tone-on-tone color pallet that is visually somber and the small and sensitive details that heralds the change of the seasons. When the viewer goes beyond the first casual glimpse of the blossom and foliage, one would notice that on the edges of certain leaves as well as along the stalks, there accumulates a very thin layer of the white dust that represents the frost. The flower in bloom are chrysanthemums. Despite of being splendid, they are the messengers of the autumn. The large lotus leaf was subtly rendered in a bended and slightly withered manner, just past its prime. Although the lotus is still in bloom, the prominent seed pod indicates it may be the last for the season. The sentimental capture of the change of the seasons is not unusual in Japanese art. This vase poetically represents such a subtle transition from summer to fall, perhaps depicting the very first frost. The neck of the vase is also slightly unusual with two rolled rings...

A pair of Satsuma ceramic plates made by Kinkozan studio circa 1880-1900s during the late Meiji Period. Each dish features miniature enamel decoration o...