Pair of Japanese Blue and White Covered Ginger Jars with Children Play Scenes

Description

A Large and Impressive Pair of 19th Century Japanese Blue and White Covered Ginger Jars with Large Panel Cartouches of Kids playing. Each jar is of baluster form with wide shoulders, a short neck, domed lid, and flat unglazed base. The porcelain body is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue beneath a clear glaze. The domed covers are topped with broad knop finials and rest directly on the jar mouths without raised footrims or inner flanges. Each jar features two large figural scenes enclosed within shaped cartouches painted on opposite sides of the body. One scene depicts five boys seated cross-legged or kneeling around a low rectangular table, engaged in reading or studying a scroll. The second scene shows five boys playing under trees, with one holding a flowered rattle, another with a drum, and others gesturing in animated postures. Each lid is similarly painted with two figural scenes: one features four boys gathered around a go board, while the other shows a pair of boys, one reading an unfurled scroll and the other listening attentively. These narrative compositions are set within bordered frames and are spaced apart by vertical panels of decorative reserves. Between the large figural cartouches are alternating decorative reserves in fan, peach, and round forms. These are filled with botanical motifs painted in rich blue tones. The fan-shaped reserve shows a bird perched on a slanted flowering branch, surrounded by layered foliage. The peach-form reserve below it depicts another bird, standing upright on a curved branch, enclosed by two dense flower clusters. Smaller roundels in between contain peony-like blooms or leafy arrangements. The lids are painted with matching motifs around their sides, including floral medallions with centralized blossoms. All painted elements are rendered in varying intensities of underglaze blue, with darker outlines and softer interior washes giving depth to the leaves, feathers, and blossoms. This pair dates to the second half of the 19th century, during the Meiji period in Japan. The underglaze blue technique was widely used in Japanese porcelain production of this era, particularly for export ware intended for Western markets. The subject of boys at play and seasonal flora reflects a blend of traditional Japanese decorative themes and motifs influenced by earlier Chinese styles. These jars were likely produced for decorative use rather than storage, and their large scale, narrative panels, and complete matching lids enhance their value to collectors of Japanese porcelain. Japan, Circa: Meiji Period

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