Pair Of Japanese Porcelain Covered Bowls, Edo Period (18th Century)

Two lidded bowls of refined kakiemon ware with a decoration of houses in a mountain landscape, made for export to the West in the second half of the 18th century. The term kakiemon goes back to the Japanese potter Kakiemon Sakaida (1596-1666), who is said to have been the first Japanese to use overglaze painting on porcelain. The family produced porcelain for 12 generations. The special quality of the painting is typical of kakiemon decoration. The designs are surprisingly restrained and delicate. The shard is a striking milky white. The color palette of the painting consists mainly, but not exclusively, of orange-red, light blue, green, yellow, black, gold, and sometimes turquoise. Kakiemon porcelain was so popular that virtually every Japanese kiln and every European factory of any importance, such as Meissen in Germany and Chantilly in France, copied its magnificent decorations. This decoration also exerted a strong influence on Chinese export porcelain. Although the Edo period was a time of isolation for Japan, limited trade was permitted with Dutch merchants who operated from an artificial island off the coast of Nagasaki.Condition: One bowl has a hairline, both lids are chipped.