Late Edo Period Kraak Style Dish

Underglaze blue Japanese Arita molded porcelain dish, c. 1800.
 
Dimensions: Approximately 8” diameter.
 
Decoration: 
The border is decorated with eight decorative panels.
 
The center is decorated with a scene of an individual crossing a bridge toward a temple. In the background is a lake and mountains.
 
The reverse bears a “ken” mark and is otherwise undecorated. Ken marks were used during the late Edo period and this form of the mark dates to between 1790 and 1810.
 
With the disruption of the Jingdezhen kilns in the middle of the 17the century, the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC) turned to Japan to provide porcelain for the Dutch market. This was primarily blue and white wares produced at the Arita kilns.
 
Blue-and white plates and dishes like this were usually decorated in the Wanli Kraak style, i.e. a border divided into panels of at least two patterns with a pictorial center design. The Arita versions closely mimic the Chinese Wanli Kraak style, but often with distinctive Japanese elements.
 
By the 1680s, the Jingdezhen kilns were back in operation, producing porcelain for export in larger quantities and at lower cost than the Japanese kilns. Consequently, imports from Japan rapidly declined. However private trade continued into the 18th century and traditional designs continued to be produced into the late 18th to early 19th centuries.
 
References:
Barry Davis Oriental Art, “Ko-Imari Porcelain from the Collection of Oliver Impey”.
Impey, “Japanese Export Porcelain”.
Jorg, “Fine & Curious, Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections”.
MacGuire, “Four Centuries of Blue & White”.
 
Condition: Kiln dirt on the foot rim and minor glaze imperfections; otherwise in excellent condition consistent with age and usage. Please examine the photos; they are part of the description.