Imari-style Porcelain Tea Bowl And Saucer. Arita, 17th Century.

Arita hard-paste porcelain bowl and saucer, decorated in the Imari “Bijin in the Garden” style. The traditional Imari color palette—blue, red, and gold—is enhanced with yellow and soft green glazes. The designs are executed with great finesse, which is unusual for this type of Arita production.

The Musée Occitanie des Arts de la Table holds in its collections a cup of the same technical quality and from the same period, but with a very simple design, for which a silver mount hallmarked with a fleur-de-lis was created in Paris (1681–1684), establishing that the porcelain predates that date.

To the best of our knowledge, this set constitutes the only complete example on record. Another identical bowl, worn and chipped but missing its saucer, is also known. The exceptional quality of the craftsmanship and the rarity of these pieces suggest that they may have been part of a special series commissioned by a discerning patron.

Excellent condition, no repairs or grinding; a chip on the foot of the bowl is visible in the photo.

Arita, circa 1670–1680.

Plate diameter: 127 mm.
Bowl diameter: 73 mm.