Featured Chinese Style Satsuma Temple Jar

As we see quite a few Chinese items pretending to be Japanese I though I would share this item that came as part of a group recently. It is very much copying the Satsuma style including the diaper patterns on the lid, but makes no attempt to pretend it is Satsuma as with the slightly later examples. I suspect it dates around the 1970's. It may well have been made by the factory later calling itself 'Royal Satsuma'. The Chinese text reads as per the English (although the top line is perhaps more accurately Hand Crafted or Hand Made).

 

nicer than a lot we see here...

 

I really like this piece especially the colour palette. I am in awe of anyone who can paint anything on porcelain especially in this sort of detail.

 

The detail is quite astounding given what they are, all those turquoise and red dots are hand applied raised slip too. It kind of highlights the difference in labour between the East and West when this kind of item was produced. Imagine how much it would cost if you went to a ceramic artist here and asked them to make one. Yet you can buy them in auction lots for the price of a takeaway.

 

I expect mass produced jars and vases from the likes of Ikea stand a better chance these days. It always breaks my heart to see all the beautiful needlework on offer at thrift shops for next to nothing especially given the time, effort and skill that goes into the pieces.