Preliminary identification
Photo reference
4 uploaded photos
Overview
An octagonal Japanese blue and white porcelain deep bowl (sometsuke hachi) featuring reserved white egrets, willow, and pine panels around the exterior, with rabbits and clamshells bordering an interior central heron. The base bears an apocryphal four-character Ming dynasty mark '宣徳年製' (Made in the Xuande reign) enclosed in a double square, housed in an antique fitted wooden box (tomobako).
Story
Edo-period Japanese potters frequently added historic Chinese Ming dynasty marks to celebrate classic porcelain styles. This octagonal bowl pairs elegant waterside birds with playful rabbits among sea shells.
Maker / Origin
Produced in the famed kilns of Arita in Hizen Province, Ko-Imari porcelain was revered by Japanese aristocrats and tea masters as well as exported globally. Artisans worked in collaborative kiln workshops where painters specialized in cobalt brushwork and complex press-molded faceting.
Condition & Value
Displays honest age wear consistent with Edo-period use, including slight rim roughness (mushikui/fritting), kiln debris around the unglazed foot, and an authentic aged patina on the fitted storage box. Overall good preservation with no visible structural cracks.
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.