Gourd Shaped Pottery Vase at The British Museum, London

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This vase showcases the kinrande style, a design popular in Japan; its decoration, featuring a blend of red and gold, mirrors the qiangjin technique used in laquerware that preceded it. Imari porcelain is the name given to Japanese wares crafted in Arita, a town within the former Hizen Province on Kyushu's northwestern coast. These porcelains were extensively exported from Imari port between the 17th and 18th centuries. Both the Japanese and Europeans referred to them as Imari; in Japanese, they are also known as Arita-yaki. Imari porcelain has continued production up to this day. While numerous types of Imari exist, Westerners associate Imari with a specific type produced and exported in large quantities during the mid-17th century - Kinrande. This type features colored porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze and red and gold overglaze. The unique color combination was not seen in China at that time. Traditional Ming dynasty color porcelains predominantly used red and green, likely due to the scarcity of gold in China; conversely, Japan had an abundance of gold during those days. Imari subjects range from foliage and flowers to people, scenery, and abstractions. Some Imari designs, such as kraak style, were adopted from China, but most are uniquely Japanese due to Japan's rich tradition of paintings and costume design. The porcelain has a gritty texture on its bases, where the glaze does not cover it. There is also blue and white Imari. Kakiemon style Imari is another type of Imari, but it tends to be categorized separately in Europe.