Covered jar with large finial
Octagonal covered vases are relatively rare in Japanese export porcelain, and this vase is further distinguished by the prominent elongated finial on the cover. Large imported vases such as this one must have appeared remarkable to European collectors who were accustomed to smaller and less refined tin-glazed earthenware examples (known in Europe by various terms such as Delftware and faience). The skill of the Japanese potters is evident in all aspects of this vase, from the strikingly white porcelain body to the beautifully-painted cobalt decoration that is executed before the clear glaze is applied.
[Jeffrey H. Munger, 2014]
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