Overglaze-Painted Plate with Water Aoi Design From the 18th Century

This exquisite 色絵水葵図皿 (Overglaze-painted Plate with Water Aoi Design) is a prime example of 鍋島焼 (Nabeshima ware), produced in the 18th century under the patronage of the Saga domain during the Edo period. Nabeshima ware, distinct from its Imari ware cousin, was not made for public sale, but rather reserved for presentation to the shogunate and court nobility—a porcelain lineage marked by restraint, precision, and regal grace.

Here, the artist paints a field of mizuaoi (water aoi)—a seasonal plant often found near marshes—rendered with remarkable delicacy and discipline. The plate’s composition is asymmetrical yet balanced, with the painted elements clustered to one side, leaving ample negative space, a hallmark of Japanese pictorial aesthetics. The colour palette is quietly bold: deep indigo foliage, turquoise blue leaves, brick-red berries, and gentle touches of gold, each outlined in crisp detail.

The brilliance of this piece lies not only in its design but in its technical refinement. The surface is smooth and luminous, bearing the hallmark translucence of high-quality porcelain fired in the Ōkawachi Nabeshima kilns. Overglaze enamels were carefully applied post-firing and then fired again at lower temperatures, allowing vibrant colours to bloom atop the milky-white base.

What makes Nabeshima ware so unique is its fusion of aristocratic decorum and painterly grace. While Chinese porcelain heavily influenced early Japanese ceramics, Nabeshima kilns developed a style of their own—one deeply embedded in Japanese seasonal awareness, courtly taste, and Zen-like restraint.

The small gold repair at the rim is not a flaw, but rather a point of philosophical beauty. A trace of kintsugi (金継ぎ), the Japanese art of mending with gold, reminds us that imperfection and history enhance, rather than diminish, an object’s value.

🍵 If you appreciate wabi-sabi aesthetics and timeless rustic simplicity, take a look here: https://engicrafts.etsy.com