Description:

A richly coordinated, cabinet-worthy grouping of fifteen pieces of late-20th-century Japanese porcelain, each piece hand-enameled in the classic Imari/Kutani palette and selected for visual harmony on the table. The six fan-form plates (uchiwazara) are molded with a tapered “fan” body and small handle cartouche and decorated to the face with layered kiku (chrysanthemum) sprays in iron-red, saffron, and indigo with celadon-green leaves, all within broad corner borders of cobalt karakusa scrolls, stylized florets, and red reserves heightened with gilt. The undersides show a neatly finished raised foot and a blue four-character seal mark within the recessed panel - work consistent with quality Arita ware of the period. The six square kobachi (side-dish bowls) were retailed by Takahashi, San Francisco - each base printed with the Takahashi seal and TAKAHASHI / SAN FRANCISCO / JAPAN - and feature a lively yellow ground of scattered blossoms and a continuous band of broad lotus leaves, under which two white hares (usagi) race along undulating ground; the interiors carry a blue-green asanoha-style diaper border that frames plating beautifully. Completing the service are three weighty octagonal serving bowls with softly lobed walls; the exteriors alternate iron-red and emerald panels enclosing stylized floral medallions picked out with aubergine and gilt, while the interiors are restrained with petite floral sprigs near the rim. Each of the octagonal bowls bears a crisp, celadon-tinted glaze and an impressed maker’s mon to the base, characteristic of late-Shōwa/Heisei Arita-Kutani studio production.

Condition is excellent across the ensemble and ready for immediate service or display: enamels remain vivid and glossy; rims are true; no chips, cracks, hairlines, or repairs were found on careful inspection under strong light. The kobachi show only the faintest expected rim and foot-ring shelf wear from stacking; the fan plates present clean, bright wells with trivial utensil micro-marks; and one octagonal bowl shows a tiny kiln kiss/firing blemish to the underside (photographed) along with normal foot wear - both strictly in the making and not impairing function or display. Sets of six in both the fan-form plates and Takahashi “Usagi & Lotus” pattern are desirable and not often encountered together; combined with the three generous octagonal bowls, the lot forms a versatile, mix-and-match Japanese table service ideal for kaiseki courses, sushi, sweets, or as a colorful Imari accent in a design-forward kitchen or dining room. A refined, collectible, and display-cohesive group that marries sought-after Arita/Imari aesthetics with the collectible Takahashi retailer mark.

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April 5, 2026 11:00 AM EDT
Stouffville, ON, CA

Oakwood Auctions

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $5
$100 $299 $10
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $99,999 $1,000
$100,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 + $10,000