Large Antique Japanese Arita Imari Porcelain Shaving Bowl, 1690s

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A rare and early Japanese Arita Imari porcelain shaving bowl dating to circa 1690–1710, spanning the late 17th and very … Read more A rare and early Japanese Arita Imari porcelain shaving bowl dating to circa 1690–1710, spanning the late 17th and very early 18th centuries. Of substantial proportions at 27 cm in diameter, the bowl was almost certainly produced for the European export market and displays the quality and decorative sophistication associated with early Arita porcelain. The design shows clear influence from late Ming and early Kangxi-period Chinese porcelain. At the centre is an elegant vase filled with chrysanthemum flowers, surrounded by delicately executed decoration combining underglaze cobalt blue and iron red with green, mauve and further iron-red overglaze enamels and softly applied cobalt washes. The restrained and delicate colouring is particularly attractive and gives the bowl a more subtle character than many of the more boldly coloured Imari wares of the period. The reverse is also decorated, with flowering prunus sprigs rendered in cobalt blue and iron red, a decorative treatment encountered on both Chinese and Japanese porcelain of this period. The distinctive shaving-bowl form incorporates two suspension holes through which a barber could thread a cord, allowing the bowl to be carried or suspended in accordance with period practice. Produced at the Arita kilns more than three centuries ago, the bowl is particularly notable for its superb surviving condition. Its combination of large scale, early date, specialised shaving-bowl form and finely executed polychrome decoration makes it a particularly appealing example of Japanese export porcelain. A rare opportunity to acquire an exceptionally well-preserved piece of late 17th to early 18th-century Japanese Arita Imari porcelain. Period Edo Period Date of Manufacture Circa 1690–1710 Dimensions Diameter: 27 cm (10.75 inches) Overall Depth: 8 cm (3.25 inches) See less