Cool Finds: Japanese Satsuma Vase

This week’s cool find is a Satsuma vase, associated with the Satsuma province in southern Kyūshū. Early Satsuma Ware is attributed with the turn of the 17th century, typically made with plain, dark clay, while its newer variant, Kyō-satsuma, developed in 1800 and is identified by its ivory color and bright floral patterns, over-glaze, and gilding.

Satsuma Ware first developed after Toyotomi Hideyoshi, regarded as the second “Great Unifier” of Japan, concluded his incursion into Korea after kidnapping Korean potters to bring the art of ceramics to Japan. The Satsuma region proved to be a good location to build kilns due to its abundance of local clay.

When the West was introduced to Japanese Arts at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1867, Satsuma Ware was among the most striking elements of the presentation, sparking a boom in its creation and export. To appeal to Western collectors, popular designs in this era involved many flowers, complex designs, and frequent use of Japanese imagery. Satsuma Ware’s popularity peaked around 1885, at which point mass production and low-quality products saturated the market, resulting in a decline in global interest.

This particular find is likely a post-WWII production, made evident by its “Made In Japan” marking on the base, but it is still a stunning representation of the pottery style made famous by Japanese artists.