Japanese Enamelware Wall Dish
A Japanese enamelware wall dish brings vibrant Meiji period artistry to your interior through intricate vitreous enamel and wirework.
Japanese Enamelware Wall Dish
When you search for a japanese enamelware wall dish, you encounter substantial chargers and decorative plates created during the Meiji and late Edo periods. These circular display pieces range from medium plates to large chargers measuring up to forty centimetres across. Most examples on this page date from the late nineteenth century, specifically between eighteen sixty and nineteen hundred.
The decorative subjects span the natural world and traditional mythology, featuring detailed depictions of dragons, birds, ho-o birds, butterflies, frogs, chrysanthemums, and landscapes. You also find figurative work depicting samurai and figures like Buddhas. These objects were made primarily for display on walls or surfaces rather than for domestic service.
The origins trace directly to Japanese workshops working in the cloisonne tradition during the nineteenth century, with specific regional production noted in Nagoya. The form is dominated by large decorative chargers and plates designed to command attention in a room. They represent a peak of decorative metalwork and glass enamelling from the Meiji period.
How they were made
The foundation of these pieces relies on metal bases hammered from copper, brass, or bronze, shaped into broad circular plates and chargers. Artisans then applied delicate brass wire to outline the complex pictorial motifs, forming cellular compartments known as cloisons. This wirework maps out the dragons, birds, and floral arrangements before any colour is introduced.
Vitreous enamel paste was packed meticulously into these wire cells by hand, building up the design through successive firings in a kiln. Once the enamel melted and fused to the metal base, craftsmen ground and polished the entire surface until the metal wires and coloured glass fields sat flush. Wood often provided a secondary structural or backing element for mounting and display.
Japanese Enamelware Wall Dish Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for japanese enamelware wall dish 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.
Materials documented across the pieces include copper, brass, bronze, wood, and vitreous enamel.
What varies in quality
The fineness of the wirework dictates the visual clarity of the design, where thinner, more complex cell boundaries allow for highly detailed pictorial scenes such as landscapes or samurai figures. Masterpieces achieve a dense, controlled network of wire that defines feathers, scales, and foliage with absolute precision. Weaker examples feature coarser wire grids and simpler, less ambitious subjects.
The depth and uniformity of the vitreous enamel separation distinguish exceptional chargers from standard production. Superior pieces display rich, unblemished colour fields with smooth polished finishes free of pitting or cloudiness in the glass. The ambition of the subject matter, from a standard floral arrangement to complex multi-character figural scenes, also elevates the standing of an individual dish.
Nagoya workshops
The Japanese Enamelware Wall Dish Glossary
- Cloisonne enamel
- A metalwork technique where fine wires are soldered to a base to create cells filled with vitreous paste. These cells are then fired and polished flat.
- Charger
- A large decorative plate intended for display rather than for serving food at table. They form the primary format for nineteenth-century Japanese wall pieces.
- Vitreous enamel
- A material made by fusing powdered glass to a metal substrate through intense heat. It provides the permanent, glossy colour fields on these dishes.
- Meiji Period
- The era of Japanese history spanning from eighteen sixty-eight to nineteen twelve. This period encompasses the majority of the cloisonne wall dishes found here.
- Ho-o bird
- A mythical phoenix frequently depicted in Japanese decorative arts. It symbolises fidelity, virtue, and the imperial house.
Japanese Enamelware Wall Dish: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I hang a Japanese enamelware wall dish?
These decorative chargers generally require a specialised wire wall hanger that grips the rim securely without scratching the enamel surface.
Ensure the mounting hook in your wall is fixed firmly into a stud or uses a proper wall anchor to support the substantial weight of the copper and bronze base.
What is the difference between a plate and a charger?
In this context, a plate is smaller in diameter and suited for cabinet display, while a charger is a large decorative piece designed as a focal point.
Both utilise the same cloisonne wire and vitreous enamel techniques, but chargers command much more visual presence on a wall.
How can I tell a Meiji period piece from an Edo period piece?
Late Edo period pieces, dating from around eighteen sixty, often feature heavier metal foundations and distinctive styles of mythical subjects like the ho-o bird.
Meiji period examples from eighteen seventy to nineteen hundred tend to show greater technical refinement in the thinness of the wirework and the variety of landscape scenes.
Are these dishes safe to clean with water?
You should clean vitreous enamel surfaces only with a soft, dry cloth to remove dust and prevent moisture from seeping into any exposed metal or wood backing.
Avoid liquid cleaners, chemical polishes, or submerging the piece, as moisture can damage the antique metal and wire boundaries.