A striking antique Japanese Imari porcelain bowl of generous proportions beautifully hand painted in the traditional Imari palette of rich cobalt blue iron red and soft gilded highlights. This is a particularly decorative and well balanced example dating to the late 19th century during the Meiji period when Japanese ceramics were highly sought after across Europe.The centre is finely decorated with a vase of blooming peonies, a symbol of prosperity and beauty surrounded by flowering branches and elegant birds. The composition is framed by a bold richly coloured border with intricate scrolling detail and gilded accents giving the piece real presence. The depth of the bowl adds to its impact making it more sculptural than the typical shallow chargers often seen.Pieces such as this were created for export and intended to be displayed rather than used daily often placed on sideboards or in cabinets as statement decorative objects. Today it works beautifully as a centrepiece bowl or...