Satsuma Vase with Circular Handles

This small Satsuma vase features the distinctive creamy beige crackled glaze for which the pottery is known and is finely painted with festive scenes. The scenes depict figures celebrating alongside elaborate geometric patterns and gold gilding. The small size of the vase makes this detailed painting all the more impressive. Satsuma ware, an esteemed Japanese art form from the Meiji era, has fascinated collectors for over a century and a half with its elaborate overglaze enameling and refined gilding. Originating from the region around Kagoshima Prefecture, this fine pottery serves as a lively canvas that vividly captures nature through intricate depictions of flowers and animals. Introduced by skilled Korean artisans, Satsuma ware initially graced the homes of Japan's elite as a symbol of high status. Its global acclaim was cemented at the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris, propelling it to international fame. Today, Satsuma ware is celebrated and highly prized, continuing to be a