Antique Japanese Seiji Kaisha hand painted porcelain scalloped plate boat c 1890

  
In 1879 the four latter listed partners left Ezaiemon Fukagawa at Koransha to form a rival company which was called the Seiji Kaisha or the Pure Water Company. The Seiji Kaisha Company had a modern factory which produced highly competitive porcelain and dinner wares for the Western market.

This beautifully painted plate has a relatively unusual hand painted scene with an underglaze cobalt blue structural ground and overglaze enamel of a Japanese boat loaded with large lidded jars and screens. The boat is emerging from behind bamboo and a large flowering tree.

In the foreground there are blue rocks, another tree and stylised wave scrolls with foaming crests. Above and to the left of the boat are two blue and gold butterflies above them are two pairs of flying geese.

The sky has stylised cloud scrolls in underglaze blue with iron red and gold enamel decoration. The rim has a bright outer border of floral scrolls with a gilded background. The underside of the rim is decorated with under glaze blue bamboo and floral branches. The foot has three concentric bands of underglaze blue.

Seiji Kaisha ware was made in the area around the town of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, now Saga Prefecture, of North western Kyushu island of Japan. The plate is approximately 8 3/8 inches (21.5 cm) diameter, 1 1/4 inches (3.2 cm) high. It weighs a total of 423 grammes unpacked. It is in good antique condition, there is a small chip to the rim at the 5 o'clock position, probably from a plate hanger, no cracks nor restoration.

There is some minor wear to the gilding and enamel to the rim border. There are some minor marks or rubbing possibly caused by plate stacking. This is a highly collectable and decorative item and great for display on its own or as part of a collection antique Japanese pottery or Hizen ware, ??? Hizen-yaki from a distinguished and highly collected factory.