A finely painted Japanese Imari porcelain ginger jar and cover made in Arita, Japan during the late Meiji period. Arita was the historic centre of Japanese porcelain production and the source of the celebrated Imari export wares widely admired in Europe from the 18th century onward.Decorated in the classic Imari palette of cobalt blue and iron-red enamels, the vessel is of elegant baluster form with a domed cover surmounted by a pointed finial. The pointed finial on the lid follows a traditional East Asian jar design inherited from earlier Chinese storage vessels. The decoration is organised in alternating panels including flowering branches with a bird in flight and formal floral motifs set within deep cobalt reserves. The shoulder and base are framed by stylised geometric borders and dense blossom ornament typical of traditional Imari decoration.Jars of this type were produced both for domestic use and export markets and became especially popular in Europe as decorative cabin...