Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
A refined Japanese Edo-period porcelain sake cup (sakazuki) paired with a lobed saucer (rokka-zara) in the Kakiemon palette. It features delicate overglaze enamel painting of birds, blossoming plum, and floral branches against a Milky-white (nigoshide) porcelain ground.
Story
Seventeenth-century Arita potters perfected a translucent, milky-white porcelain body called 'nigoshide' specifically to showcase delicate enamel brushwork. European royalty fell so deeply in love with these asymmetrical Kakiemon designs that factories like Meissen and Chantilly copied them directly.
Maker / Origin
Sakaida Kakiemon I pioneered overglaze enameling techniques in Arita in the mid-17th century, creating an iconic aesthetic defined by soft persimmon-red, turquoise, and yellow enamels set against generous white space. The family kiln tradition continues to this day, spanning over fifteen generations.
Condition & Value
Appears in good vintage condition with typical minor firing flaws, small iron spots, and minor rim wear visible on both the sake cup and saucer, consistent with age.
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Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.