A pair of Japanese Kutani porcelain lidded bowls dating to the Meiji period, circa 1880 to 1900. Each bowl is decorated in the akae kinrande manner, with iron-red ground and gold tracery framing reserve panels of figures in garden settings, landscape vignettes, and flowering branches. The form, with its inverted-dome cover and ringed finial, served for rice or a warm course in the traditional manner. Kutani ware originates from Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture. Following the nineteenth-century revival, the akae kinrande style, fine red-and-gold painting over a white porcelain body, became one of the most sought-after Kutani idioms in the Western export market. Such wares were hand-painted by specialist decorators and reached Europe and America during the late Meiji trade boom. The base of each bowl bears a hand-painted iron-red mark reading Kutani Tano sei, a workshop mark of the type used by Meiji export houses. The interior of each cover carries a red-ground roundel with a gilt fuku character, a wish for good fortune. Each bowl measures approximately 4.5 inches in diameter, and 3.5 inches in height with the cover in place. The pair is offered complete, two bowls with two matching covers. Condition is consistent with age. There are no cracks, no chips, and no restoration; the porcelain rings clear. Expected light wear to the gilding is present in places, consistent with more than a century of age, as shown in the photographs. Sourced in person from a Pacific Northwest estate. Curated by SWCurated. As a newer shop, I take particular care with packing: each piece is individually wrapped and double-boxed with generous cushioning, dispatched within 1 to 2 business days. Questions are always welcome.
