Japanese export porcelain covered bowl, c. 1895.
 
Dimensions: Approximately 11” x 10”
 
Decoration:
The body and lid are decorated with two large cartouches of a black and white Buddhist lion (“Shishi”) on a gilt field surrounded by flowers.
 
Between these are flowers, leaves, and geometric designs.
 
Surrounding the foot is a geometric band in red, green, and gold.
 
The foot is decorated with a blue and gold band.
 
The final is a polychrome Shishi decorated in blue, red, and gold and is surrounded by a geometric band in red, green, and gold.
 
The edge of the lid is decorated with a blue and gold band.
 
The base is bears an apocryphal Chinese reign mark typical of Japanese export ceramics. In this case the mark is of the Qianlong reign.
 
The gilding varies from matte to fully burnished, with the gilded elements of the finial among the brightest.
 
Meiji period (1868 – 1912) polychrome Imari pieces were predominantly made for export, as were the polychrome Imari pieces of the 18th century (“ko-Imari”). Production of the latter diminished mid-18th century as the style went out of fashion in Europe.
 
Due to the interest in Japanese ceramics spurred by international exhibitions in the 1860’s and 1870’s, polychrome Imari ceramics again became fashionable in Europe as well as the United States and remained so throughout the 19th century. 
 
Meiji period examples can use a broader range of colors, reflecting the development of new enamels, as well as modified or new shapes that appealed to Western tastes of the time. While not referred to as such, I consider these ceramics to be “Imari revival”.
 
References:
Jahn, “Meiji Ceramics”.
P.L.J. Arts, “Japanese Porcelain”.
Schiffer, Japanese Porcelain 1800- 1950.
Shimura, “The History of Imari, The Symbols and Mysteries of Antique Japanese Porcelain”.
 
Condition: Scratched symbols on interior of the bowl; otherwise in excellent condition consistent with age and usage. Please examine the photos; they are part of the description.