Which Japanese wares turn up most often?

Imari-palette porcelain and Satsuma earthenware dominate. Between them they account for most of the 642 listings, at 211 and 188 titles. Kutani is the clear third at 47 titles. After that come the metalwork vases: bronze, cloisonné and mixed metal.

Why are so many sold as pairs?

They were made as pairs for display, and they survived that way. 253 titles on Sellingantiques describe two vases rather than one, so a pair is close to the default here. Larger matched sets appear too. The samples record garnitures and collections of three, four, five, six and seven vases.

How old is a typical Japanese vase?

The dated field runs from 1700 to 1950, but the weight sits around 1880 to 1910. The 1900s carry 192 listings and the 1890s 85. A large block is dated only as 19th century, which is a century rather than a decade. Genuinely early pieces are scarce: 17th and 18th-century datings cover 25 listings in all.

Are most of these signed or attributed?

No. The word signed appears in only 22 titles out of 642, so an attributed vase is the minority case. A great many listings are simply 'Antique Japanese Imari Vase' or 'Japanese Satsuma Vase' with no maker named. The names that do appear come through as marks or as attributions in the description.

What sizes do they come in?

The range is wide. Miniatures and small single vases sit at the bottom, and 'large' qualifies 157 titles. At the top are floor-standing vases, 11 titles' worth, with recorded heights such as 147cm, 152cm and a pair at 93cm. Heights are given only sporadically, and in a mix of centimetres, inches and feet.

What forms other than baluster show up?

Baluster is the commonest profile, often with a flared neck, and lidded versions are a standing variant with 40 titles. Less often you get the double or triple gourd, the moon flask, the garlic-head vase, the reticulated vase and the beaker or trumpet form.

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Antique Japanese Vases

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Japanese vases on the market in Britain are mostly late Edo to Taishō decorated ceramics, Imari porcelain and Satsuma pottery above all, made as display pieces for Western rooms.