Japanese Plates

Japanese plates distill the austere beauty and craftsmanship for which the country is known into a utilitarian object that can be used every day. They are prized by collectors for the rich history they embody, as well as for their aesthetic, which appears equally at home hanging on a wall or graced with food on a dining table.

Japanese plates began to grow in popularity around the 17th century as Japanese ceramic artists replicated the Chinese and Korean examples that had recently inundated the country as popular trade items. Japanese plates have remained highly sought after and treasured since the 17th century, and their popularity shows no signs of abating any time soon.

Japanese plates were typically created in a straightforward and unpretentious manner using a potter wheel. While their simple designs are beautiful in their own right, it is really their glazed embellishments that serve as their crowning characteristics. Glazed in stunning blues, carnal reds, and sumptuous gold against a porcelain white, the aesthetic of Japanese plates continues to be like nothing else on Earth.

Quick Facts

• Many of the the Japanese plates created during the 17th and 18th century catered to the tastes of Western buyers. Often, Dutch traders would create mockups of designs, which they would then send to Japanese artisans for replication
• Designs of irises, waves, islands, or peonies were painted on Japanese plates in reference to the "Tales of Ise," mythological tales which have been historically popular among the educated elite
• Old Japanese techniques of glazing and decoration have been retained over centuries. During the '90s, there was a resurgence in the traditional pottery techniques and styles popularized in the 17th century