Arita ware gold-overglazed round stretch plate with hand-drawn pattern

At a glance

- Arita-yaki (有田焼), Saga Prefecture, Japan's original porcelain tradition since early 1600s
- Gold overglaze (金上絵 kin-uwagusuri) with hand-drawn karakusa arabesque pattern
- 21.3cm wide, 1.8cm deep; each piece varies slightly in brushwork and gold density

Gold and white is a combination that has been central to Arita porcelain since the 17th century, when Japanese ceramics first reached European courts and the opulent overglaze tradition was born. This plate carries that lineage without ceremony.

Made in Arita-yaki (有田焼), Saga Prefecture, this plate features kin-uwagusuri (金上絵, gold overglaze) applied by hand over a karakusa (唐草) arabesque pattern that stretches across the wide, round surface. Karakusa, the Japanese rendering of the arabesque vine motif, has been used in Japanese decorative art for over a millennium, symbolising growth, continuity and long life. Because the gold lines and pattern are applied by hand, each piece has its own slight variation in brushwork density and detail. At 21.3cm wide the plate suits a main dish or shared appetisers. The gold and white combination reads as celebration without requiring a special occasion.