An unusual Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912) Imari charger, decorated in typical underglaze blue, polychrome enamels and gilding with overlapping blue peonies surrounding a large panel with the Rokkasen, and four smaller panels decorated with tsuru and various idyllic landscapes, 46 cm diameter?
The Rokkasen are six poetry immortals (Sojo Henjo/Ariwara No Narihira/Bunya No Yasuhide/Kisen Hoshi/Ono No Komachi/Otomo No Kuronushi)?famous in Japan from the Heian period onwards and rarely appear on Imari ware when compared to the famous floral designs, the poems of the Rokassen survived in quantity and can be found in the Kokin Wakashi, an early anthology of Japanese poetrySome gilding and enamel wear through handling but otherwise without any damage, not chipped, cracked or restored