JAPANESE
Figure
(c. 1700)

Medium
stoneware, porcelain, enamel colour

Measurements
(56.5 × 22.0 × 18.5 cm)

Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Noriaki Kaneko, 2023

Gallery location
Not on display

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.

Artwork Details

Place/s of Execution
Japan

Accession Number
2023.208

Department
Asian Art

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JAPANESE Figure (c. 1700)

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JAPANESE
Figure
(c. 1700)