Japanese Edo Period Imari Garniture of 3 Vases - 17th Century- Superb - 30cm H

A wonderful "Genroku Period" Garniture Set of three pieces. One Baluster vase and two trumpet beaker shaped vases. Made for the European export market this set may well of always consisted on three pieces though sets of five or more are known.

The vases feature a typical simple design in underglaze Cobalt blue (the cobalt is almost black in tone) with overglaze iron red and Gold gilding. The vases share the same design features of stylized flowers with a vertical border with chrysanthemum flower heads in an abstract pattern border. This type of decoration is very typical of the Genroku period (1688 -1704) under the rule of Emperor  Higashiyama. The name translates to "Good Fortune" and this was a period of both stability and prosperity for Japan.

They date to the late 17th Century Circa 1690. The wooden lid and stands, though antique, are later and of Chinese origin. 

Japanese export porcelain vases were avidly sought by the wealthy aristocratic and royal patrons to decorate their stately homes and palaces from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century right through to the early twentieth centuries. This would have been an expensive item to purchase back in the late 17th Century.  Garniture sets were amongst the most prized by the collectors.

Japanese porcelains were prized for their boldly patterned and richly coloured decoration. The importation of Japanese Imari wares at this time, changed European taste for Asian porcelain and was copied extensively by the European pottery and later porcelain manufacturers throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries

This is a wonderful example of a rare set of very early Japanese porcelain in excellent condition.