Storage Jar

1670-1690

Japan, Saga Prefecture

Porcelain painted with underglaze cobalt blue (Arita ware, Kakiemon style)

H. 18 1/2 x Diam. 14 3/4 in. (47 x 37.5 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.232

Some important characteristics of the Kakiemon style -- a category of brightly enameled porcelain made primarily for the export market -- represented in this jar include the asymmetrical composition of individual clusters of plants, the stylized chrysanthemum blossoms, the abundance of empty space, and the arabesque design filling the neck and shoulder bands. As this jar demonstrates, Kakiemon style porcelain encompasses not only pieces decorated with overglaze polychrome enamels but also those painted entirely in underglaze cobalt blue.