A Pair of 19th Century Imari Vases

A pair of late 19th century Imari porcelain vases of good scale, of flattened, rounded form, decorated throughout with red, blue and gold glazes on a white ground, the bodies with cartouches depicting exotic birds, flowers and foliage.

Imari porcelain is moulded and fired using kaolin clay in the kilns of Arita, Japan. Imari works are customarily decorated in red and blue glazes, highlighted with gilded outlines, over a white, almost translucent body. Their decoration, often geometric cartouches, can contain anything from landscapes and figures over birds and mythical beasts to kimono textile patterns. As a rule of thumb, older pieces tend to have a slightly bluish tint to their body, whereas later designs generally involve more vibrant colours.