Antique Japanese Imari Porcelain Plate Phoenix Crane Floral Panel Composition 13"W

Japanese Imari porcelain plate, radiating cartouche panels with phoenix, crane and floral lattice, central scholar's rock medallion, Meiji period

Japan; Meiji period, late 19th–early 20th century

A Japanese Imari (伊万里) porcelain plate decorated in the classic aka-e palette of underglaze cobalt blue, iron red overglaze enamel, and green accent, organized in the radiating cartouche panel format that became the defining compositional vocabulary of Arita export ware from the seventeenth century onward. Alternating panels carry phoenix (鳳凰, hōō) and crane (鶴, tsuru) figures set against dense lattice and floral fills; the central medallion encloses a scholar's rock and floral spray in blue and white. The reverse carries simple blue line banding and a faint cursive mark. The iron red is rich and well-fired; the green enamel accent is characteristic of the period.

Phoenix and crane together in a single composition carry a double weight of auspicious meaning: the hōō as the supreme bird of Chinese-derived cosmology, associated with the empress and with peace; the tsuru as the pre-eminent Japanese symbol of longevity and noble virtue. Their alternation across the cartouche panels gives the plate a measured, stately rhythm well suited to the formal decorative register the Imari tradition served.

• Form: Imari porcelain plate
• Decoration: Radiating cartouche panels — phoenix and crane alternating with floral lattice fills — in underglaze cobalt blue, iron red overglaze, and green enamel; blue and white central medallion with scholar's rock; blue line banding to reverse
• Period: Meiji, late 19th–early 20th century
• Dimensions: 11″W × 1.25″H
• Condition: Age-appropriate wear; minor rubbing to enamel highlights consistent with period handling; no chips or cracks observed. Please see photos for details.
• Flags: Confirm mark reading in hand.