Japanese Imari Porcelain Five-Piece Garniture, Late 19th

A richly decorated Japanese Imari garniture composed of five hand-painted porcelain vessels, combining deep cobalt blue, warm iron-red and delicate floral ornament against a luminous white ground.

The group follows the traditional garniture arrangement of three baluster jars and two tall flared vases, a format long associated with Japanese Imari export porcelain. Floral reserves, scrolling foliage and geometric borders cover the surfaces in a dense yet balanced composition, while the surviving domed cover is crowned with a sculptural shishi, or guardian-lion, finial.

The decoration and construction are in the Imari tradition and point to the late 19th or early 20th century. The pieces are unmarked, and no workshop or maker has been identified.

Key Features

• Origin: Japan
• Style: Imari
• Period: Late 19th to early 20th century
• Material: Porcelain
• Decoration: Hand-painted underglaze cobalt blue with iron-red and polychrome enamels
• Motifs: Floral reserves, foliage and geometric borders
• Set Includes: 2 tall flared vases, 2 large baluster jars, 1 smaller central jar and 1 surviving original cover with shishi finial
• Central Covered Jar: D 13 × H 26 cm; 870 g with cover
• Tall Flared Vases (2): D 12 × H 25 cm; approx. 670 g each
• Large Baluster Jars (2): D 16 × H 20 cm; approx. 790 g each
• Maker: Unidentified
• Markings: Unmarked; faint traces of blue on the base of one vase, not legible
• Condition: Good antique condition consistent with age, in original, untouched condition. The set originally included three covers, of which only one survives. It belongs to one of the larger baluster jars and is displayed on the smaller central jar. Age-related wear, glaze crazing to the tall vases, surface marks and a crack to the cover; please refer to the photographs for details.

A decorative Japanese Imari garniture, with the presence to dress a whole mantelpiece and the character that comes from more than a century of age.