Treasures of Imperial Japan, Volume 5, Ceramics, Part 1, Porcelain

This volume is published in two parts dealing with the development of, respectively, porcelain and earthenware. The first part concentrates on Miyagawa (Makuzu) Kozan (1842-1916), illustrating more than 80 examples of his virtuoso work in porcelain. Kozan brought the medium to heights of technical perfection not seen before and, ever responsive to market forces, produced wares with shapes and decoration in Japanese, Chinese, and European styles. An essay by Dr Oliver Impey and Malcolm Fairley traces the part played by Japanese porcelain in the international exhibitions of the period, while Clare Pollard contributes an artistic biography based on documentary research in Japan. By assembling such an outstanding group of ceramics and presenting them in the light of ground-breaking new research this volume makes a major contribution to the study and appreciation of Meiji art.