Japanese Bird Plate
A japanese bird plate brings avian forms into the room through metalwork, lacquer and hand painted porcelain.
Japanese Bird Plate
When you search for a japanese bird plate, you encounter decorative chargers, wall plaques and shallow dishes created across the Edo and Meiji periods. The forms range from small plates to massive chargers measuring fifty centimetres across, designed to display natural subjects.
The most common examples on this page date from the nineteenth century, particularly the Meiji period, alongside eighteenth-century Imari and Kutani wares. Subjects include ho-o birds, phoenixes, owls, ibises, cranes and house sparrows rendered in porcelain, enamel and lacquer.
How they were made
Cloisonne enamel pieces utilise thin metal wires soldered to a copper or brass base to form cells that hold coloured enamel pastes before firing and polishing. Totai shippo examples apply cloisonne directly onto a porcelain body, sometimes incorporating simulated tree bark or cinnabar lacquer.
Porcelain vessels from Arita, Imari and Kutani employ hand painted pigments underglaze and overglaze, using iron red, black, blue and gold. Certain early dishes feature moulded shallow relief work shaped as birds.
Japanese Bird Plate Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for japanese bird plate among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Recorded periods stretch from the 18th century Edo era through the Meiji period up to 1920.
What varies in quality
The degree of refinement in the design and execution separates standard decorative wares from masterworks. Finer cloisonne exhibits microscopic wirework and flawless enamel grounds, while porcelain versions display precise brushwork in the depiction of plumage and floral scenery.
Scale and ambition also dictate the tier of a piece. Huge chargers requiring advanced kiln control or complex multi-technique surfaces like totai shippo represent the upper reach of production.
The Japanese Bird Plate Glossary
- Cloisonne
- Enamelwork technique using metal wires to create compartments for coloured paste. It produces a smooth, patterned surface after firing.
- Imari
- Japanese porcelain decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze red, green and gold. Originating from Arita, it became a staple export ware.
- Totai shippo
- Cloisonne enamel applied over a porcelain or ceramic body rather than traditional metal. This technique merges ceramic forming with wirework.
- Kutani
- Japanese pottery and porcelain known for expressive hand painted overglaze designs. Iron red and gold frequently dominate the palette.
- Ho-o
- Mythical East Asian bird associated with peace and auspicious occasions. It appears frequently with ornate tail feathers on chargers.
Japanese Bird Plate: Frequently Asked Questions
How were these plates displayed?
Large chargers and plaques were traditionally shown on stands or hung on walls to showcase the painted or enamelled pictorial scenes. Smaller dishes served functional roles at table or held decorative items.
Many retain storage boxes or evidence of past wall-mounting hardware from the nineteenth century.
How do I spot Meiji period pieces?
Meiji period items date from eighteen sixty-eight to nineteen twelve, an era of intense craftsmanship for Japanese export art. Look for complex cloisonne wirework and naturalistic bird studies.
Signatures on the reverse or base frequently appear on better Meiji works.
What are Imari plates?
Imari refers to porcelain shipped from the port of Arita, typically decorated in deep cobalt blue and contrasting iron red with gilt highlights. These pieces often feature birds among floral arrangements.
Edo period examples represent the earlier roots of this traditional aesthetic.