What is Satsuma ware from the Meiji period?

Satsuma ware refers to Japanese earthenware ceramics characterised by a pale crackle glaze, hand-painted polychrome enamels, and gold leaf decoration, which gained international popularity during the Meiji era.

What materials are used to create Satsuma ceramics?

Traditional Satsuma pieces are constructed from a light-coloured earthenware clay body, coated with a clear glaze that develops micro-crazing, and finished with mineral enamels and metallic gold accents.

How can you identify authentic Meiji period Satsuma items?

Authentic pieces display detailed hand-painted figure or landscape scenes, uniform glaze crazing, gilding applied over enamel, and painted maker marks or signatures on the base.

How can a Satsuma ceramic bowl be styled in a modern interior?

A Satsuma bowl functions as a decorative tabletop feature when positioned on a dark timber sideboard, console table, or central mantelpiece to provide visual contrast.

How should antique Satsuma ceramics be cleaned and preserved?

Dust gently using a dry, soft-bristled brush or microfibre cloth, avoiding contact with water, detergents, or abrasive materials that could wear down delicate surface enamels and gilding.

for sale €2,925 $3,175

£2,500

Gillers Antiques Ltd

Sellingantiques Verified Since Mar 2023

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Large Signed Japanese Satsuma Bowl by the Renowned Master Shizan, Meiji Period

Name: Large Signed Japanese Satsuma Bowl by the Renowned Master Shizan, Meiji Period
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1210704
Price: 2500 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Gillers Antiques Ltd

Description

This large and exceptionally decorative Japanese Satsuma bowl is a superb Meiji-period work by the renowned master Shizan, combining impressive scale, refined painting and outstanding overall preservation. With its generous 25 cm diameter, softly lobed rim and confident proportions, it has far greater visual authority than an ordinary cabinet piece and reads immediately as a true centrepiece.

The interior is centred by a beautifully painted scene of elegant court ladies beside a boat, bridge, waterfall and temple architecture, while the exterior continues with a panoramic landscape populated by bijin, pavilions, flowering trees and distant hills. The artistic quality is especially strong. The faces are delicately painted, the robes are richly and carefully patterned, and the landscape is constructed with controlled gilt linework, soft enamels and a luminous crackled ivory ground. The black-and-gold border gives the composition further depth and sophistication.

The base bears the Shimazu crest above the signature 志山, read as Shizan, a respected and highly collectable Satsuma master associated with fine quality Meiji wares. The bowl sits firmly within the Kyoto Satsuma tradition, celebrated for its elegant figure painting, poetic landscape settings and refined gilding for the upper end of the market.

Condition is excellent. The bowl has been examined under UV light and shows no restoration, no overpainting and no UV-detected repairs. There are no visible structural defects, the gilding remains bright, and the painted detail is crisp and fresh throughout. This is an unusually well-preserved example, especially for a piece of this scale and visual complexity. The carved wooden stand is included and presents the bowl beautifully.

For designers, this is exactly the sort of object that transforms a room: a visual anchor and a striking centrepiece that immediately attracts attention. For collectors, it offers the combination that matters most — scale, signature, strong artistic quality and excellent condition. Fine signed Satsuma of this calibre has become increasingly sought after, and the best decorative examples continue to enjoy strong long-term appeal as quality pieces become harder to secure.

Dimensions

Diameter: 25 cm

Height: 11.5 cm

Weight: 1533 g

Shipping & Packaging

Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description.

If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them.

The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance.

Physical Dimensions

Height

11.5cm (4.53")

Width

25cm (9.84")

Depth

25cm (9.84")

Declaration

Gillers Antiques Ltd has dated this Japanese Satsuma Ceramic Bowl to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1210704

Dealers Internal Reference

B1709

Description

“

With its generous 25 cm diameter, softly lobed rim and confident proportions, it has far greater visual authority than an ordinary cabinet piece and reads immediately as a true centrepiece.

Gillers Antiques Ltd

fig 1. A Japanese Satsuma earthenware bowl with hand-painted figures under trees and gold accents, resting on a dark carved wooden stand. — fig 1. Large Signed Japanese Satsuma Bowl by the Renowned Master Shizan, Meiji Period

The interior is centred by a beautifully painted scene of elegant court ladies beside a boat, bridge, waterfall and temple architecture, while the exterior continues with a panoramic landscape populated by bijin, pavilions, flowering trees and distant hills. The artistic quality is especially strong. The faces are delicately painted, the robes are richly and carefully patterned, and the landscape is constructed with controlled gilt linework, soft enamels and a luminous crackled ivory ground. The black-and-gold border gives the composition further depth and sophistication.

fig 2. A Japanese Satsuma earthenware bowl with hand-painted figures under trees and gold accents, resting on a dark carved wooden stand. — fig 2. Large Signed Japanese Satsuma Bowl by the Renowned Master Shizan, Meiji Period

The base bears the Shimazu crest above the signature 志山, read as Shizan, a respected and highly collectable Satsuma master associated with fine quality Meiji wares. The bowl sits firmly within the Kyoto Satsuma tradition, celebrated for its elegant figure painting, poetic landscape settings and refined gilding for the upper end of the market.

fig 3. A Japanese Satsuma earthenware bowl with hand-painted figures under trees and gold accents, resting on a dark carved wooden stand. — fig 3. Large Signed Japanese Satsuma Bowl by the Renowned Master Shizan, Meiji Period

Condition is excellent. The bowl has been examined under UV light and shows no restoration, no overpainting and no UV-detected repairs. There are no visible structural defects, the gilding remains bright, and the painted detail is crisp and fresh throughout. This is an unusually well-preserved example, especially for a piece of this scale and visual complexity. The carved wooden stand is included and presents the bowl beautifully.

fig 4. A Japanese Satsuma earthenware bowl with hand-painted figures under trees and gold accents, resting on a dark carved wooden stand. — fig 4. Large Signed Japanese Satsuma Bowl by the Renowned Master Shizan, Meiji Period

For designers, this is exactly the sort of object that transforms a room: a visual anchor and a striking centrepiece that immediately attracts attention. For collectors, it offers the combination that matters most — scale, signature, strong artistic quality and excellent condition. Fine signed Satsuma of this calibre has become increasingly sought after, and the best decorative examples continue to enjoy strong long-term appeal as quality pieces become harder to secure.