Figure
(c. 1700)
- Medium
- stoneware, porcelain, enamel colour
- Measurements
- (56.5 × 22.0 × 18.5 cm)
- Place/s of Execution
- Japan
- Accession Number
- 2023.208
- Department
- Asian Art
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Noriaki Kaneko, 2023 - Gallery location
- Special Exhibitions Gallery
Ground Level, NGV International - About this work
-
Produced primarily for the European export market, porcelain figures combined elaborate kimono and elegant postures to create an idealised view of Japan. These figures’ uchikake (outer robes) are decorated with seasonal flowers and swirling water motifs that evoke the attire of leading courtesans of the Edo period (1600–1868). Produced in the town of Arita, such items were shipped from the port of Imari to Europe and became popular interior decoration in European aristocratic homes.