Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
This exquisite blue-and-white porcelain teabowl features a charming hand-painted crab trapped in a fishing net design (amime-kani), crafted in China specifically to emulate earlier 17th-century 'Kosometsuke' (old blue-and-white) wares beloved by Japanese tea masters.
Story
In the late 19th century, Chinese potters revived 17th-century porcelain styles to satisfy Japan's passionate tea masters. The playful crab caught in a net is a classic motif symbolizing good luck, resilience, and holding onto fortune. Such bowls were cherished objects passed down through Japanese tea ceremony lineages.
Maker / Origin
Crafted by skilled artisans in Chinese porcelain kilns, these wares were tailored specifically to Japanese aesthetic tastes (wabi-sabi). Japanese tea practitioners favored pieces that showed human touch, playful iconography, and organic asymmetry rather than rigid imperial perfection.
Condition & Value
Visually appears to be in very good condition with bright glaze and intact rim. Minor glaze variations and foot rim discoloration are consistent with age and firing process. Excellent structural condition preserves maximum value.
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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.