Vase; Japan, Meiji period, 20th century.

Vase; Japan, Meiji period, twentieth century.
Hand-painted Satsuma pottery and wooden stand.
Attached to the base.
Measurements: 92 x 40 cm; 127 cm (total height with stand).
Large vase made of hand-painted ceramic. The Satsuma pottery is made since the early eighteenth century on the island of Kyushu, and was a type of great Korean influence, as in fact it was even brought to the Korean potters pottery. In the second half of the 18th century it became so popular in Japan that the production center was moved to Awata, near Kyoto. Thus, there is a local production in the eighteenth century, although the pieces for export in the nineteenth century, already produced in Awata, will have a greater importance. The paste is not porcelain, but a very light, porous light terracotta. The glaze is feldspathic, mixed with wood ash. The most characteristic feature of Satsuma pottery is its decorative richness, sometimes even exaggerated. Generally the motifs are brushed in golden glaze, as we see here, a novelty compared to previous styles. In addition, the ornamentation is completed with very varied polychrome enamels: green, red, white, turquoise, pink and, above all, "gosu" blue, the most sought after of all, with a very dark tone and typical of the best Satsuma of the 19th century. In addition, these are very thick glazes, which even have relief, as we see in these pieces. Regarding the decorative motifs, they were very varied, from the floral ones that dominate the domestic production to the figurative ones, the most common in the pieces destined for export.