Antique Ethos

Description

Highly decorative, large Hichozan Fukagawa vase c1870 from the Arita/Imari area. Applied dragon encircling the body, trumpet neck with shaped rim. High relief detail to the dragon's head and body. Enamelled design typical of Hichozan Shinpo-sei (1860-1880) covering the body and inside rim. Hand painted signature on base - translated as "Hichozan for Fukagawa". 46cm height, 21cm rim.
This vase is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks or crazing. No loses to the applied dragon design. There is a very small loss to the overglaze enamel in the figurative panel (shown). Please see images as these form an important part of the description.

Fukagawa is a family, a brand name, a place and nowadays a porcelain factory in the Arita region. Its history starts with Ezaiemon Fukagawa who in 1856 became head of his family's porcelain business and in 1875 founded Koransha (The Company of the Scented Orchid) in Arita, Japan, to produce tableware for export. In 1894 the modern Fukagawa company was founded by Chuji Fukagawa, with the Fukagawa trade mark of Mount Fuji and a stream. (This vase does not carry modern Fukagawa marks and therefore pre-dates 1894.) In the Meiji period (1868-1913) the Hichozan Shinpo-sei brand name was used by several Arita porcelain makers such as Fukagawa as well as on other products for export from the Mikawachi kilns. The Hichozan Shinpo-sei brand was used around 1860-1880.
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