Antique Lamps – Kakiemon – A Story Of Harmony And Balance
Kakiemon, pronounced, Ka.ki.e.mon, is all about balance, a small range of distinctive colors, (the palette), pure white porcelain and a perfect eye for harmony.
In the world of art and design, colour is important, in fact, of primary importance, with many specific colours bearing the name of their originator. The sublime palette of Kakiemon enamels is a key example.
Kakiemon’s color range is small, but distinctive, delicate, balanced and in perfect harmony. The palette is composed of iron-red, cerulean-blue, turquoise-green, yellow, aubergine, and gold.
It is the iron red aspect of the pallet from which the story unfolds.
We must look back to 17th century Japan and the birth of Sakaida Kizaemon (1596-1666) the founding father of the celebrated dynastic family of Japanese potters.
It was Sakaida, working in the ceramic heartland of Japanese ceramics, Arita province, which, with a range of “firsts”, who opened a new window to the world of ceramic art. The extremely fine, pure white body (Nigoshide) was believed to have been exclusive to the Kakiemon kiln. He was, unquestionably, not only a master potter, but could “see” colors that literally, as enamels, did not exist.
Japanese art, with its long history, has always drawn its inspiration from the world of nature, with each changing season offering a new pallet of colors and ideas. Kakiemon wares are usually painted with natural subjects, birds in branches, flying squirrels, the “quail and millet”, grasshoppers, moths and garden insects. Very often seen are the “Three Friends of Winter” (pine, prunus, and bamboo), trailing flowers, and banded hedges.
Human subjects are rare; some have been given titles such as the “Woman and the Nightingale” and “Hob in the Well”, a title given by 18th century England! The decoration based on a popular design derived from the story of a Chinese sage who saved his friend who had fallen into a large fishbowl. The chrysanthemum, the national flower of Japan, is a very common subject.
It was from this natural world that Sakaida Kizaemon produced his “iron red” by capturing the delicate red color and texture of the persimmon (kaki) on porcelain. He is traditionally believed to have introduced over glaze enameling on porcelain to Japan in the 1640s and In recognition of his dedication and artistic achievements he was awarded the honorific name of Kaki-emon, or, Kakiemon.
The Kakiemon family remains porcelain makers and skilled decorators, right up to today, with only the eldest son inheriting the family name and special skills.
Kakiemon XIII (1906-1982) was designated as an important cultural treasure of Japan in March 1971 and Kakiemon XIV, born in 1934, the 13th descendant of Sakaida Kakiemon, was designated a Living National Treasure of ceramic decoration in July, 2001
Kakiemon porcelains can be typified by hexagonal or octagonal shapes. An iron-brown dressing (fuchi-beni) was applied to the edges of many Kakiemon porcelains to embellish them and to protect the rims from being chipped, white porcelain with a colorless glaze and widely spaced decoration, placed with a perfect eye for harmony and balance.
History is and always will be, like the tide, going in and out and the story of Kakiemon is not exempt.
China, throughout history was not only the originator of porcelain, but the then, source of porcelain, but, In the early 17th century, Imperial China was in complete political chaos with the turmoil of the closeting years of the Ming dynasty. The dynasty completely collapsed in 1644 and the production of export porcelain to the West came to a halt. It would be thirty years later that the production of export porcelain would resume.
It was the Dutch, who at the time were the great merchant trading sea power, who with a concession trading port, exported vast amounts of Chinese export porcelain to Europe, all produced at the great kilns at Jingdezhen.
When production stopped, the merchant fleet turned to Japan. The Dutch merchant fleet was the only Western nation allowed to trade there and had their trading port on Deshima Island, in Nagasaki harbor. Remember that Japan was closed to the West in an effort to contain European influence and it was only from these designated ports that trading could take place.
In fact, the production of Japanese porcelain had only a half a century’s history before the Dutch East Indiamen arrived. It was not long before the Dutch trading fleet, laden with Japanese porcelain were heading for Holland. The arrival of the “New” Japanese porcelain was a revelation, as very little colored porcelain had been seen, as most of the Chinese export had been blue and white wares.
This was 17th century Japans porcelain export high peak with virtually no competition. Kakiemon however, was the most prized and certainly, the most expensive and was the preferred style in the princely palaces of Northern Europe, and despite the price, was the style most sought after by the rich and famous!
But the sleeping dragon was waking, and China’s chaos had subsided with the establishment of the Manchu dynasty and the long and productive reign of the Kang Xi Emperor.
The great kilns at Jingdezhen were reopened and the thriving business of export porcelain to the West commenced.
Japanese Kakiemon porcelain, with its export to Europe, became the most influential ceramic decoration towards the end of the 17th century; The shapes, the decorative style and exquisite palette were copied by all the most important 18th century European factories, including Meissen, Chantilly, Chelsea, Bow and Worcester.
Kakiemon continued to influence European decoration throughout the 18th and into the 19th century and is still being reproduced by the most famous porcelain makers today. One of the 19th century’s great reproducers’ of Kakiemon was the very skillfulEdmé Samson of Paris.
A very fine “Samson of Paris” hexagonal lamp decorated in Japanese Kakiemon style.
The six sided shape decorated with three full panels of Kakiemon style decoration. Panel one with flowering cherry boughs and delicately enamelled birds in flight. Panel two with the Japanese mythical bird, the ho-o, which represented the Emperor. The Ho-o bird perched on flowering orchid stems in a bamboo stand. Panel three decorated with a pastel coloured bird, enameled in pale lemon, turquoise and a touch of red. The bird perched in prunus, flowering on old wood.
The three decorative subjects separated with alternating panels of “red panel”, or, karakusa scroll executed in reverse technique. The red panel scroll work, skillfully enamelled, in iron red and turquoise.
The lamp standing on the original gilded metal, hexagonal base and with the original, gilded cap, modeled as a chrysanthemum flower, the national flower of Japan.
A very pretty lamp in beautiful condition.
The lamp shown with a custom made pure silk hexagonal lamp shade.
Circa 1870
The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co specialise in antique lamps with an exclusive on-line range of over 100 unique lamps. Lamps are shipped ready wired for the US, the UK and Australia.
For further information you are invited to visit their web site at -:
http://www.antiquelampshop.com
© The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co 2010
About the Author
Maurice Robertson, principal of The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co, has had a lifetime’s association with antique porcelain and pottery, with his commercial experience spanning a period of over 45 years,including valuer to the Australian Government’s Incentive to the Arts Scheme. His long experience with antique ceramics and glass also includes dealing with leading museums and numerous international private collections. He has extended his ceramics expertise into the quality table lamps seen on the company’s site and is well known to local and international interior designers who have included many of his table lamps in their projects. He has also supplied items of national interest to the official Sydney residence of the Australian Prime Minister.
Painting White Aster and Red Hibiscus on Antique Xuan Rice Paper
|
|
Wabash Valley Farms 25008 Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper $19.89 There’s more to going to the movies than seeing the movie itself – it’s the popcorn! Now, with the Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker, you can make fluffy, delicious popcorn just like you get at the theater. The stay-cool hardwood handle turns the stainless steel paddle inside, preventing scorching and burning, and making certain every kernel pops up like it should. The steam vents on top allow moisture to… |
|
|
Pyrex Prepware Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Measurements Pyrex Prepware 2-cup measuring cup includes 1-each 2-cup measuring cup with red graphics. Whether you are preparing a multi-course meal or simply a snack for one, Pyrex offers products which make food preparation a little easier, from beginning to end. There’s no substitute for Pyrex, the original glass bakeware. Introduced 90 years ago and made of a durable, high temperature material, Pyrex rema… |
|
|
Koolatron KWC-4 Coca-Cola Personal 6-Can Mini Fridge $41.25 Koolatron Coca – Cola Personal Cooler / Warmer provides storage and temperature control for food and beverages. Cool or warm your food and drinks easily. The Coca-Cola Personal Cooler / Warmer looks like a small refrigerator and is perfect for the car, boat or home. It holds up to six 12-oz. cans of soda or beer. It operates on 12V DC or 110V AC with an AC adaptor. Cools food and drinks to 32 degr… |
|
|
Heritage $9.65 Following the success of their last 4 shows the new Celtic Thunder show Heritage accentuates the musical culture of Ireland. The CD features 12 new recordings including: An Irish Blessing, A Place In The Choir and Whiskey In The Jar. In 2011 March PBS pledge will feature Celtic Thunder’s Heritage airing the program over 1,000 times. In the fall of 2011 Celtic Thunder Heritage will be on tour. Over… |
|
|
The Doors (Special Edition) $2.98 Thanks in large part to its meticulous re-creation of the late 1960s and early 1970s rock scene and the uncannily authentic performance by Val Kilmer as legendary Doors front man Jim Morrison, Oliver Stone’s hypnotic film biography is standing the test of time. Capturing the carefree mood of the Age of Aquarius, the film charts the meteoric rise of the Doors on the California club circuit (includi… |
|
|
Madonna – Drowned World Tour 2001 (Region 2/3/4/5/6) $6.97 The Queen of Pop has done it again and offered her fans and music impresarios alike a music performance to be remembered. Drowned World Tour–filmed in her home town of Detroit on August 26, 2001–is both an amazing pop concert and a visually stunning modern dance and multimedia piece encompassing all the recent incarnations of this chameleon-like performer. Never one to shy away from champio… |
|
|
A Few Good Men [VHS] $0.82 A U.S. soldier is dead, and military lawyers Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee and Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway want to know who killed him. “You want the truth?” snaps Colonel Jessup (Jack Nicholson). “You can’t handle the truth!” Astonishingly, Jack Nicholson’s legendary performance as a military tough guy in A Few Good Men really amounts to a glorified cameo: he’s only in a few scenes. But they’… |
|
|
Dances With Wolves [VHS] $0.01 Kevin Costner’s 1990 epic won a bundle of Oscars for a moving, engrossing story of a white soldier (Costner) who singlehandedly mans a post in the 1870 Dakotas, and becomes a part of the Lakota Sioux community who live nearby. The film may not be a masterpiece, but it is far more than the sum of good intentions. The characters are strong, the development of relationships is both ambitious and care… |
|
|
Crimson Tide [VHS] $0.97 In the typical Don Simpson-Jerry Bruckheimer mold (the partnership yielded Top Gun and Days of Thunder, among many other films), this 1995 drama is a combination of one-dimensional but enjoyable performances, lots of high-tech nonsense taking place onscreen, and mechanistic movie-making at its loudest and most seizure-inducing. Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington play nuclear submarine officers squ… |
|
|
Xacto X5282 Basic Knife Set $14.00 The X-ACTO precision knife is the original cutting tool for any application requiring a precise, accurate cut. This cutting and trimming tool has been used for years by graphics artists, designers, hobbyists and others for making careful cuts and trims consistently and with confidence. Now you can purchase the original X-ACTO knife (numbers 1, 2, and 5) along with a full set of X-ACTO precision kn… |
|
|
Traditional Antique Red Chinese Cabinet (China) $699.99 This traditional 19th century-styled Chinese cabinet features an antique red finish with distressed black accents. Handcrafted using authentic East Asian-style cabinetry, this cabinet is highlighted with fine brass hardware. |
|
|
Antique Red Fabric Roman Shade (27 in. x 72 in.) $39.49 This fabric Roman shade features a removable 6-inch valance and matching tassel/. This shade adds warmth to any room in your home. |
|
|
Antique Red Fabric Roman Shade (31 in. x 72 in.) $43.69 This fabric Roman shade features a removable 6-inch valance and matching tassel/. This shade adds warmth to any room in your home. |
|
|
Antique Red Fabric Roman Shade (23 in. x 72 in.) $33.49 This fabric Roman shade features a removable 6-inch valance and matching tassel/. This shade adds warmth to any room in your home. |
|
|
Cotton Antique Red Floral Jumbo 2-piece Rocking Chair Cushion Set $64.99 This jumbo 2-piece floral rocking chair cushion set spotlights a reversible design. These cushions have a bound edge trim with four circle tacks, string ties attached to the backs and a fully tufted cotton construction. |
