Antique Japanese Satsuma-Style Kingyo-Bachi Fish Bowl, Early Showa, 1927 - 1945 | SKU: 24N-678

Antique Japanese Satsuma-Style Kingyo-Bachi Fish Bowl, Early Showa, 1927-1945 | SKU: 24N-678

A richly decorated ceramic cachepot with koi, cranes, and pheasants -- a stunning statement piece in the Satsuma export tradition.

A Satsuma-style fish bowl, known in Japan as a kingyo-bachi, is a large rounded ceramic vessel traditionally used to display ornamental goldfish or as a decorative planter in wealthy households and formal reception rooms. This handsome example follows the classic export-ware formula that captivated Western collectors during the Showa era: a cream crackle-ground body densely covered in polychrome overglaze enamels and gilt, layering auspicious imagery across every surface. The wide flat rim is encircled by a continuous procession of tsuru (cranes) in flight rendered in fine brushwork against a stippled ivory ground -- a motif long associated with longevity and good fortune in Japanese antique ceramics. The rounded body is organized into large gilt-bordered roundels, each containing a beautifully detailed kiji (pheasant) perched among peonies, chrysanthemums, and pine -- surrounded by smaller cranes on the cream field between panels. Gilded mon medallions punctuate the shoulders, and bold gilt diaper bands frame both the rim and foot, a hallmark of quality early Showa Japanese export ware.

Today this striking vessel translates effortlessly into contemporary interiors. Filled with a lush potted fern or trailing ivy, it becomes an eye-catching living room accent or entryway statement -- the wide mouth comfortably accommodating a nursery pot. Left empty, it serves equally well as a standalone decorative object on a console table, mantelpiece, or in a Japandi-style vignette alongside natural textiles and dried botanicals. Its generous scale and all-over painted decoration make it a genuine conversation piece -- a unique housewarming gift or a prized addition to any collection of antique Japanese craft and decorative ceramics.

• Origin: Japan
• Era: Showa period, circa 1927-1945; Satsuma-style export ware
• Material: Earthenware with cream crackle glaze, polychrome overglaze enamels, and gilt decoration
• Use: Decorative fish bowl or ornamental planter; display vessel for formal reception rooms
• Modern Use: Indoor planter cachepot; living room or entryway decorative accent; display centerpiece in a Japandi or maximalist interior
• Features: Wide flat rim decorated with cranes in flight on a stippled cream ground; rounded body with large gilt-framed roundels depicting pheasants among peonies, chrysanthemums, and pine; gilt mon medallions on shoulders; gilt diaper border bands at rim and foot; interior painted with koi and aquatic plants on a celadon-tinted ground
• Dimensions: 12 1/2"Diameter x 10"H
• Condition: Excellent

A spectacular example of Showa-era Japanese decorative ceramics -- bringing the elegance of the Satsuma export tradition into any modern home.

We use professional studio lighting to highlight the natural character of the wood. As a result, the tone may appear slightly warmer than under natural daylight.

All antique items are sold as-is. Each piece may exhibit signs of age, including scratches, wear, or minor imperfections. These are not considered defects but natural evidence of the item’s authenticity and age.