Large Dish with Cherry Blossoms

This large dish features a unique design not found on other known examples. Nabeshima porcelain was deliberately distinguished from both imported Jingdezhen porcelain and domestic Arita ware through its refined aesthetic and technical innovation. For instance, the application of cobalt-blue pigment under the glaze was a defining characteristic of Nabeshima ware, with craftsmen developing various methods to achieve delicate lines, gradations, and subtle shading. One such technique—seen on this dish—involved applying a slurry of cobalt-rich liquid with a thick brush to fill in design elements or backgrounds, producing smooth areas of even blue or softly modulated tones.