Takarada (宝田製) - Meester-penseelschilder uit het Takarada-atelier - Dinner set (23) - Kinrande-techniek - Kutani porcelain with enamel and gilding) - Kutani porcelain set

Rare 23-piece Antique Japanese Kutani Tea Service – Takarada (宝田製) – Meiji period (ca. 1890–1910)

Description
An impressive, extensive, and very finely decorated 23-piece porcelain tea/coffee service from the late Meiji period (ca. 1890–1910). This service is manufactured and hand-painted in the famous Kaga Province (the heart of the Kutani porcelain region in Japan) by the renowned workshop Takarada (宝田製).

Origin, Manufacturer & Signature
The plates, the large serving dishes, and the large teapot bear on the underside the classical hand-painted iron-red Kanji-mark:

Right: 加賀国 (Kaga no Kuni – Province of Kaga)

Left: 宝田製 / 寶田製 (Takarada-sei – Made by Takarada)

Notes on marks within the set:
As is typical for high-quality Japanese tableware from the Meiji period, not all separate components were stamped individually. In traditional ateliers, mainly the central main piece (the large teapot) and the tableware such as the plates were marked to sign the whole. The additional pots (such as sugar pot and milk jug) are blank on the underside, but can be attributed to the same master decorator based on identical brushwork, the specific gilded brocade edges, and the unique form of the lid knobs, and belong to exactly the same original set.
Takarada is known for high-quality export porcelain from the Meiji era. During this period Japan opened its borders to the Western market, and the fineness of hand-painted Kutani porcelain reached an absolute peak. The master decorators of Takarada excelled at combining exquisitely refined miniature paintings with rich gold and iron-red details (Kinrande).

Symbolism & Decoration
The service is decorated in the classic Shoza / Watano style. The central motifs depict Bijin-ga (images of elegant women/geishas in traditional kimonos) strolling and gathering in picturesque Japanese cherry-blossom gardens, along riverbeds, and near traditional teahouses.
The rims and necks are richly finished with Wazakkou (geometric and floral Brocade patterns in fan-shaped panels) on a ground of finely gilded gold and deep red (Aka-e).

Composition & Dimensions (23 porcelain pieces)

1x Large Teapot (with lid): 20 cm high × 23 cm deep × 15 cm wide

1x Sugar pot (with lid): 15 cm high × 16 cm wide × 12 cm deep

1x Milk jug (with lid): 15 cm high × 14 cm wide × 12 cm deep

1x Deep serving bowl / presentation bowl: 15 cm diameter × 8 cm high

2x Large serving/dinner plates: 21 cm diameter

12x Dessert plates: 19 cm diameter

5x Cups and saucers / saucers: 15 cm diameter
(The 3 accompanying original lids complete the set as a whole)

Condition
The service is in remarkably beautiful, antique condition with minor age-related wear to the gold and painted decoration (typical for an age of over 110 years). No major restorations or disturbing defects. Please view the extensive photo series carefully for a full picture of the condition.

Packaging & Shipping
The service is professionally packed with the utmost care in a double box with ample protective material and shipped by registered/insured mail with Track & Trace.