RARE Late Edo - Meiji Period Museum Level Antique Japanese Imari Sumo Dish For Sale

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RARE Late Edo - Meiji Period Museum Level Antique Japanese Imari Sumo Dish:
$355.00

Antique Japanese Imari Porcelain Sumo Dish Late Edo - Meiji Period

Slide 1: Overview & Subject

Object: Antique Japanese Shaped Imari Dish (Arita Ware).

Depiction: Central figure of a Sumo Wrestler (Rikishi) standing in a ceremonial posture wearing a decorative apron (Kesho-mawashi).

Theme: Sumo-e (Sumo iconography), a sought-after subject in Japanese Edo period decorative arts.

Slide 2: Ceramic Style & Execution

Palette: Classic Kinrande / Ko-Imari style combining underglaze cobalt blue background with overglaze iron-red enamel and gold details.

Form: Molded oblong form with lobed/scalloped edges.

Verso (Back): Underglaze cobalt blue painting of stylized tied ribbon scrolls (Noshi motifs) around the unglazed foot ring.

Slide 3: Dating & Comparative Context

Historical Context: Imari kilns in Arita (Saga Prefecture) produced wares both for foreign export via the port of Imari and for the elite domestic market.

Rarity: While floral, bird (Kachō-ga), and landscape motifs are common in Imari porcelain, figurative depictions of sumo wrestlers on porcelain dishes remain significantly rarer.