Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
A Japanese porcelain dish decorated in vivid overglaze enamels featuring the traditional 'Three Friends of Winter' (pine, bamboo, and plum) alongside delicate birds in flight and perched on branches. The design is executed in the classic Kakiemon aesthetic, characterized by asymmetry, translucent multi-colored enamels, and crisp white porcelain space.
Story
Dating inscriptions like 'Genroku 12' (1699) placed directly on Japanese porcelain bases often signal later Meiji to 20th-century homage production rather than genuine Edo-period marks. Kakiemon porcelain was so prized in 17th-century Europe that factories like Meissen and Chantilly built their early empires by copying these exact asymmetry designs.
Maker / Origin
Sakaida Kakiemon I pioneered overglaze enameling techniques in Arita during the 1640s, creating the famed 'nigoshide' milky-white body with translucent coral-reds, greens, and blues. The Kakiemon lineage continues to this day through the 15th generation, remaining one of Japan's most prestigious ceramic traditions.
Condition & Value
Appears in good structural condition with bright enamels and intact brown rim dressing. Minor surface wear and discoloration along the unglazed foot rim. Genuine early examples usually show subtle spur marks on the base. If proven to be a genuine 17th-century Edo period Kakiemon-style dish, values can reach $3,000–$8,000+.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
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.