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Imari / Arita ware

Japan tradition · 5 examples · indicative market tier: $500–5k (accessible antique & fine living craft)

Imari ware (Japanese: 伊万里焼, Hepburn: Imari-yaki) is a Western term for a brightly-coloured style of Arita ware (有田焼, Arita-yaki) Japanese export porcelain made in the area of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū. They were exported to Europe in large quantities, especially between the second half of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century. Typically Imari ware (in the English use of the term) is decorated in underglaze blue, with red, gold, black for outlines, and sometimes other colours, added in overglaze. Wikipedia →

Types & examples

Large Jar with Peonies, Orchids, and Chrysanthemums
Large Jar with Peonies, Orchids, and Chrysanthemums, late 1600s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Sake Bottle with Three Figures
Sake Bottle with Three Figures, late 1700s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Sake Bottle
Sake Bottle, mid- to late 1600s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Sake Bottle with Three Figures
Sake Bottle with Three Figures, late 1700s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Dish with Two Men Playing Go
Dish with Two Men Playing Go, 1700s
Cleveland Museum of Art

Where to buy

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Each link opens a live, image-rich search for this craft on that marketplace. Listings rotate constantly; authenticate significant pieces independently — attribution quality varies widely outside museum collections.