Medium: Arita ware: porcelain with underglaze blue and overglaze enamel decoration
Geograhical Locations:
Dates:19th century
Dimensions: height: 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm); diameter: 21 3/8 in. (54.3 cm)
Collections:
Accession Number: 2004.28.248
Image: 2004.28.248.jpg,
Catalogue Description: Large Arita-style charger with a coat-of-arms at center. Two flower branches on the exterior. Double foot rings at base, both attached with a layer of sand. Four character mark at base: "gui xian chun wu" to be reviewed and translated. Experts have long questioned the origin of this dish, pointing to the stiff quality of the decoration, unusual materials, and abherrant reign mark on the base. The object was attributed first to Japan, then to China (where copies of Arita porcelains were made in the Qing dynasty, but not using that type of mark), and finally to France, where copies of Japanese objects were made by porcelain companies in the 19th century. Condition: Intact. Examined on 8/15/06 before going on display, object is in excellent condition-no losses to gilding.