Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a 23.6 cm (8-sun) lobed Japanese porcelain dish rendered in the celebrated Kakiemon polychrome enamel palette. It depicts a Daoist sage or scholar accompanied by an attendant crossing a bridge amidst blossoming plum branches, rocky outcrops, and swirling auspicious clouds, finished with a brown-dressed 'fuchisabi' rim.
Story
Arita potters in the late 1600s perfected translucent enamels on milk-white porcelain, capturing asymmetrical scholar scenes that would soon captivate European royal courts.
Maker / Origin
Pioneered by Sakaida Kakiemon in 17th-century Arita, this style revolutionized porcelain with its distinctive translucent iron-red, turquoise-green, and yellow enamels set against pristine white ground ('nigoshide'). The refined, painterly aesthetic became one of the most widely imitated ceramic styles across both Asia and Europe.
Condition & Value
The dish appears well-preserved with intact overglaze enamels, clear colors, and no immediately visible chips, restorations, or heavy hairline cracks along the lobed rim. Minor kiln specks and faint surface rubbing consistent with age; pristine preservation helps maintain top-tier collector interest.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
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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.