Oġġetti tal-Kakiemon

Kakiemon (Japanese: 柿右衛門, Kakiemon yōshiki) is a style of Japanese porcelain, with overglaze decoration known as "enameled" ceramics. The style originated with the Sakaida family and was produced at kilns in the town of Arita, in Japan's Hizen province (modern-day Saga Prefecture) from the mid-17th century during the Edo period. The quality of its decoration was highly prized and widely imitated by major European porcelain manufacturers during the Rococo period.

History

The name "Kakiemon" was bestowed upon Sakaida Kakiemon I by his lord after he perfected a design of twin persimmons (kaki), and developed a distinctive palette of soft red, yellow, blue, and turquoise green that is now associated with the Kakiemon style. Sakaida Kakiemon I is credited with being one of the first in Japan to use overglaze enamel decoration on porcelain, a technique he is said to have learned from a Chinese artisan in Nagasaki in 1643.

The style flourished following the disruption of traditional Chinese porcelain exports to Europe due to the fall of the Ming dynasty. Kakiemon porcelain was exported from Japan to Europe via the Dutch East India Company beginning in the 1650s. The style was quickly copied by new European porcelain factories in the 18th century, including Meissen in Germany, Chantilly in France, and Chelsea in England. By about 1760, the Kakiemon style had largely fallen out of fashion in Europe.

Characteristics

Kakiemon ware is a sub-type of the broader Arita ware and is known for its high-quality, delicate, and asymmetric designs. These designs were sparsely applied to emphasize the fine, milky-white porcelain background, known in Japan as nigoshide. The body of the porcelain often featured octagonal, hexagonal, or square shapes.

Characteristic colors of the Kakiemon palette are iron red, light blue, bluish green, and yellow, sometimes with a little gilding. Common decorative themes include:

• The "Quail and Millet" design: Featuring sprigs of foliage and small quails.
• The "Three Friends of Winter": Designs of pine, plum, and bamboo.
• The "Hob in the Well": Illustrating a popular Chinese folk tale.
• Birds and flying squirrels
• Flowers, especially the chrysanthemum.

Kakiemon pieces can be found in a number of museum collections around the world. The style is still produced by the Sakaida family and other artisans today.

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