Censer "koro". Japan. Edo period, XVIII century.

Censer "koro". Japan. Edo period, 18th century.
In Awata ware from Kyoto.
Provenance: Pardo-Mitsunaga Collection.
Piece reproduced in the catalog of the exhibition "The beauty of the ephemeral. Japanese art through the collections of Daniel Buján and Pardo-Mitsunaga", held at the Museo do Mar de Galicia (Vigo), November 2025-January 2026.
Measurements: 24,5 x 22 x 22 cm.

Exceptional Japanese censer (k?ro) made in Awata pottery from Kyoto, a production center active during the Edo period and especially known for its adaptation of foreign decorative models. The piece features underglaze blue decoration on a white background, a technique that clearly refers to the tradition of Chinese porcelain and, in this particular case, to the European influence of Dutch Delft earthenware.

The globular body rests on three legs and is flanked by two lateral handles of circular section. The upper part takes the form of a wide flat mouth destined to hold embers or interior vessels for incense. The central reserves depict landscapes of Dutch inspiration, with architecture and urban scenes that evoke European engravings disseminated in Japan through trade with the Dutch East India Company (VOC), the only Western power authorized to trade with Japan during much of the Edo period.

The lower area shows rich vegetal ornamentation of a dynamic nature, while the upper register incorporates geometric borders and traditional Japanese decorative motifs. The iconographic elements include ginkgo biloba leaves, a tree of strong symbolism in Japanese culture.

This piece is an interesting example of the phenomenon of artistic exchange between Japan and Europe, in which Japanese workshops reinterpreted Western models within their own formal language, giving rise to hybrid productions of great decorative appeal and historical value.