How To Identify Imari Porcelain Chinese Imari is typically characterized by a combination of blue, red and gold. Details are sometimes in black and green enamels and the porcelain tends to be whiter and brighter than its Japanese counterpart.
How hard is it to find Imari?
I have been collecting Imari for several years now, but only the pieces clearly marked Imari. They are extremely hard to find, and I have noticed in antiques shows dealers are selling pieces advertised as Imari but not marked accordingly.
What is a gold Imari marked piece?
E.A.B. from Minden, Nev., also wrote about a piece in her possession and sent the picture of her "Gold Imari" marked item that accompanies this column. Pieces with this "Gold Imari" mark turn up rather frequently in estate sales, and they are very attractive, high-quality wares that were relatively expensive when they were new.
What is the difference between Imari and Chinese Imari?
Chinese Imari is also known to have a thinner glaze and to be more finely potted. Japanese Imari is also characterized by its colorful elaborate style, often featuring white and blue backgrounds, accented with a fuller, more dark red on top.
What is an Imari pattern?
Imari ware (Japanese: 伊万里焼, Hepburn: Imari-yaki) is a Western term for a brightly-coloured style of Arita ware (有田焼, Arita-yaki) Japanese export porcelain made in the area of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū.
Is Imari expensive?
These refined, unusually high quality Kakiemon and Nabeshima Imari pieces are the rarest and most expensive of all at auction today. Yet many Western collectors tend to overlook their simple, but elegant designs.
What is Imari made of?
Imari ware, also called Arita ware, Japanese porcelain made at the Arita kilns in Hizen province. Among the Arita porcelains are white glazed wares, pale gray-blue or gray-green glazed wares known as celadons, black wares, and blue-and-white wares with underglaze painting, as well as overglaze enamels.
Is Imari Japanese or Chinese?
Chinese Imari" is a decoration style with predominantly a dry iron red enamel highlighted with gilt applied on underglaze blue and white porcelain. Its immediate source of inspiration is the Japanese aka-e (red painting) but could be traced back to the Chinese "Wanli wucai" immediately before that.
How do you identify Imari in Japanese?
Japanese Imari is also characterized by its colorful elaborate style, often featuring white and blue backgrounds, accented with a fuller, more dark red on top. There are two predominant underglazed styles of Imari porcelain that are easily recognizable, by their pattern and by the use of certain colors.
Where is Imari made?
Imari is the European name for Japanese porcelain wares made in the town of Arita and exported from the port of Imari, in Western Japan.
What is an Imari vase?
One of the most popular and collected of the Japanese porcelains is Imari. Imari is in fact a European name for export porcelain produced in the town of Arita in the Hizen province of Japan. It was shipped through the nearby port of Imari from the second half of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century.
How do I know if my Japanese vase is valuable?
Look for a mark on the bottom of the vase. ... Look at the composition of the glass. ... Look at the bottom of the vase. ... Look for an overmark, which is a stamp placed on the bottom of a vase over the original maker's mark. ... Look for a NIPPON mark.
How do you read Japanese porcelain marks?
Signatures are usually followed by a suffix, for example Sei, tsukuru or saku all meaning "made", or Ga, Dzu or Fude meaning "painted" or "drawn". Then there are place names, Satsuma, Kutani, Seto etc. To read these requires references such as a good Japanese/English dictionary such as Nelsons.
How are marks made in Japan date?
If your piece is marked “Nippon,” then it was made and imported between 1891 and 1921. If it is marked “Japan”, then your piece was made and imported after 1921. The mark may tell you where your piece was made and if you know the history of understanding pottery marks, then the mark can help you date your piece too.
What is Japanese porcelain called?
Thus Arita porcelain is also often known as Imari. Arita ware was the first porcelain product in Japanese history, and strongly influenced European ceramics.
What is Nippon mark?
In theory, a piece marked “Nippon” was crafted between 1891 and 1921. If your Nippon vase has a “Japan” marking, it was made after 1921. However, many pieces carry fake marks that differ very slightly from the original versions.
📌How do I know if my Japanese vase is valuable?
Look for markings at the bottom of the vase. Manufacturers and glass makers typically mark their work with their initials or company name. You can...
📌How do I know if it is Imari?
Firstly, look for a maker’s mark at the bottom of your piece and do some research about the manufacturer or designer. Imari porcelain is typically...
📌What is Nippon mark?
A NIPPON mark was put on the button part of porcelain items that were imported from Japan to the USA prior to 1921. The NIPPON mark was put on the...
📌What is Chinese Imari?
Chinese Imari is a term for a colored style of antique Chinese porcelain and was named after the seaport Imari on the island Kyushu, Saga, in Japan...
📌What is Japanese Imari?
Japanese Imari ware is a term for a colored style of antique Japanese porcelain and was named after the seaport Imari on the island Kyushu, Saga, i...
📌How much is Imari porcelain worth?
The price certainly depends on the item in question. The piece’s decorative components and general condition certainly play a key role in its value...
📌How do you date Imari porcelain?
The way to identify the age of your Imari porcelain piece would be to check the bottom of the item for a NIPPON mark, which is often joined by a da...
📌How do you identify Imari porcelain?
Imari porcelain is characterized by its colorful elaborate style, and can be recognized through its three dominant colors: blue, dark red and white...
📌What is Imari pattern?
Imari porcelain is characterized by its colorful elaborate style, and can be recognized through its three dominant colors: blue, dark red and white...
Where was Imari porcelain made?
In our earlier column, published after the first of the year, we discussed how Imari production began in the 17th century, in and around the town of Arita, and that Imari was the name of the port from which this porcelain was shipped to the West.
Is Imari porcelain antique?
All pieces of porcelain that are marked with the word "Imari" in English are mid- to late 20th century giftware. They are not antique, and they are "hard to find" because most of this type of ware still is in the possession of its original owners and has not yet moved onto the secondary market.
Has Imari stopped making?
What we did not make clear is that the making of Imari has not stopped for any length of time since its inception, and some very attractive examples have been made in recent years. Current collectors, however, are mostly interested in the wares that are no later than the early 20th century.
