A SMALL JAPANESE TREFOIL DISH, ARITA

A SMALL JAPANESE TREFOIL DISH, ARITA

Circa 1650-70
16.2 cm across
Seal mark in underglaze blue

Decorated in under-glaze blue with circles, containing prunus, pine and bamboo known together as the ‘Three friends of Winter’ and two other blue circles perhaps representing the moon. Also, with over-glaze iron red which gives the ‘Ma’, or negative space, the impression of being clouds.

Condition:
Some small chips to the brown-dressed rim, no restoration

References:
A related dish, dating to 1650, is illustrated in The Complete catalogue of the Shibata Collection, (2019) The Kyushu Ceramic Museum, p. 45, no. 350

This item has been sold