Imari Intrigue: An Exceptional Japanese Imari Charger with Museum Connections

We recently acquired this exceptional Japanese Imari charger of particularly large scale.  Of round form with a shallow bowl, the charger is painted in dark underglaze blue with shades of iron red overglaze enamels and gilding.  The piece is decorated in the centre with a roundel painted with a tall vase holding a bouquet of …

Chantilly Porcelain: Aristocratic Ambition

Louis Henri de Bourbon, The Prince de Condé, established the Chantilly porcelain factory on the grounds of his château at Chantilly in 1730.  Chantilly was considered a 'splendid residence,' and it served as a sort of haven for the Prince away from the Royal Court.  Only four years earlier, the Prince de Condé had been …