Antique Japanese Kutani Dai Nippon Porcelain Sugar Bowl Sparrow Chrysanthemum Meiji 4H

Japanese Kutani Dai Nippon Porcelain Sugar Bowl Sparrow Chrysanthemum Meiji 4"H

Japan, Meiji period, c. 1868–1912

Approx. 4 in. H (10 cm); Width handle to handle: [X] in.; Weight:

A refined Kutani (九谷) porcelain vessel in the globular two-handled form associated with Meiji-period export tea and coffee services, the base bearing the prestigious four-character mark 大日本九谷製 (Dai Nippon Kutani Sei — "Made in Kutani, Great Japan"), a hallmark of quality export production during the Meiji era. The body is organized into white reserve cartouches on an iron-red ground, each panel painted in the kachō-ga (花鳥画, bird-and-flower) tradition: sparrows and finches rendered in precise brushwork — one in flight, another perched — amid chrysanthemum (菊, kiku), peony (牡丹, botan), and seasonal wildflowers in iron-red, blush pink, celadon, and gold. The iron-red ground between panels carries fine gold arabesque scrollwork. The shoulder carries a decorative collar of geometric and cloud-form motifs in gold and orange. The foot register and base are encircled by a full chrysanthemum petal band (kikumon) in crisp white reserve on orange — among the most finely executed details on the piece. The three-cornered pinched lip indicates this vessel was designed for pouring, likely as a creamer or sugar pourer within a larger service. The two flat angular handles are finished in iron-red with gold line detailing.

Condition: Very good; enamel and gold decoration intact with strong color. Minor wear to foot rim consistent with age. No chips or cracks noted.

A well-marked and finely painted piece of Meiji Kutani export ware — the Dai Nippon mark and the quality of the kachō-ga panels make this a strong example for collectors of Japanese ceramics.