Antique Japanese Kintsugi Meiji 1800'S Imari Ceramic Bowl Set Gold Repair 8.5"

This is an antique Japanese late Edo Era (c. 1860) Imari ceramic plate hand painted with design of shochikubai  pine trees, bamboo and plum blossoms. All very auspicious shapes. These plates have had chips and hairline cracks repaired in Kintsugi. Kintsugi (golden joinery) is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. Lacquerware is a longstanding tradition in Japan, at some point it may have been combined with maki-e as a replacement for other ceramic repair techniques. Kintsugi is completely unique from object to object creating a one of a kind piece. There are not one but two of these kintsugi plates in this set. These plates is made with high fired ceramics for lasting durability. 

These bowls measures just over 6" in diameter by 1 1/4" tall (15 x 3 cm). Having been in storage for most of the past century this bowl remains in very fine condition. Some wear on the gold helps indicate the age and authenticity.