Plate with Floral and Butterfly Motifs

Japan, Arita kilns, late Meiji period (ca. 1890–1920)

Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze enamels (aka-e and midori-de)

Diameter: approx. 8.5”

This finely potted porcelain plate exemplifies the continuation of traditional Imari-ware aesthetics during the final decades of the Meiji period. The vessel’s scalloped rim, composed of repeated lobed segments, provides a rhythmic framing device for a densely painted composition executed in three characteristic colors: underglaze cobalt blue paired with iron-red and turquoise green enamels.

The central roundel contains an intricate assemblage of foliate scrolls rendered in cobalt blue, a motif associated with late-Meiji reinterpretations of earlier Edo-period Imari design language. Surrounding the medallion, radiating segments of red enamel evoke stylized textile panels, interspersed with floral rosettes bearing blue petals and orange centers. Scattered butterflies, outlined in iron-red, contribute a sense of movement and seasonal vitality, while small turquoise enamel droplets offer chromatic contrast and surface texture.

The reverse is decorated with spare cobalt flourishes placed at intervals along the cavetto, a hallmark of Arita export wares of this period. The unglazed footring shows traces of kiln grit and a minor firing imperfection, consistent with Meiji-period production practices.

Overall, the plate reflects the synthesis of technical refinement and decorative exuberance for which Imari porcelains remained widely admired into the early twentieth century.