Imari Chinese jug, early 20th century.
Enamelled porcelain.
Measurements: 14 x 11 cm.
Chinese jug of cylindrical format richly decorated with glazes of Imari style, with a profuse ornamentation that combines a lake landscape with floral cartouches, in a free and asymmetrical mixture typical of the Japanese plastic. The main characteristic of the Imari style is the use of underglaze cobalt-blue glaze, combined with other overglaze glazes, mainly iron-red and gilding. When it also includes gilding, as seen here, it is called Imari Nishiki. Imari wares were produced in Japan from the third quarter of the 17th century until 1730-35, although there was a revival of the style in the 19th century. In decorative terms, Imari is very free, with compositions that occupy the entire space of the piece, generally asymmetrical, combining different motifs and cartouches of various shapes, as seen here.