Decorative Sunday: Chinese Porcelain in Japanese Collections
This week we highlight images of Kinrande porcelain from 16th century China gathered in a luxuriant portfolio. Kinrande Porcelains in Japanese Collections was published by Unsodo Publishing Company in Kyoto in 1967 and includes 55 plates drawn from museums and private collections. An introductory essay by ceramics historian Fujio Koyama describes kinrande as “highly prized in Japan” and explains that the term signifies a gilt brocade decoration – the term drawn from textiles.
These ceramics were produced – often with Japanese markets in mind – during a short period of the Ming Dynasty in the mid-16th century. Koyama boasts of Japan’s dominance in collecting these rare pieces and suggests that very few are likely to remain in China.
See more Decorative Sunday posts!
--Amanda, Special Collections Graduate Intern