Antique Imari vase. It is made of porcelain, decorated with paintings depicting plants and birds. The base and neck of the vase are decorated with bronze inserts acting as handles and legs. Japan, the middle of the twentieth century.

Imari is a generalized name for porcelain, which has been produced since 1616 in the Japanese village of Arita for export. The name "imari" was given to the products thanks to the port of Imabari, from which they were shipped to Western Europe.

Initially, the craftsmen imitated the Chinese style, but gradually the Japanese style developed, and porcelain products acquired new distinctive features. The craftsmen worked for generations, creating works of art that had a significant impact on such European factories as Meissen, Worcester, Dutch Delft porcelain, etc.

Imari (arita) ceramics are characterized by complex painting, which completely covers the surface of the product; bright colors; often the surface was divided into sections, which were also densely filled with ornaments.

Imari porcelain became one of the most popular collectibles in Western Europe and Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as during the Art Nouveau period.