📝 Description
A beautiful set of five vintage Japanese porcelain plates, four main plates and one smaller plate, all featuring a scenic, hand-painted landscape. The design centers on a stunning waterfront temple/pavilion on stilts, strongly resembling the famous Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto, with Mount Fuji visible in the background against a soft, pinkish-orange sunset/sunrise glow.
The scene employs a delicate, ink-wash (sumi-e) style with sparse color highlights (burnt orange for the temple structure). Each plate is finished with a detailed, patterned gold-tone rim. The base of each plate bears an illegible, hand-painted Japanese mark in black, typical of decorative export ware from the early to mid-20th century.
This set makes an evocative wall display or a unique addition to a collector's cabinet.
 
⭐ Features
✔️ Quantity: 5 plates total (4 large, 1 small)
✔️ Material: Porcelain / Fine China
✔️ Decoration: Hand-painted scenic landscape
✔️ Subject: Japanese Pavilion (likely Kinkaku-ji), Mount Fuji, water, and trees
✔️ Palette: Black, grey, sepia, white, and pinkish-orange
✔️ Finish: Patterned gold-tone rim
✔️ Mark: Hand-painted black Japanese script (illegible)
✔️ Era: Vintage, c. 1920s–1950s (Export period)
 
📏 Dimensions (approx.)
Large Plates (4x): Diameter: 18.5 cm (7.3 inches)
Small Plate (1x): Diameter: 13.5 cm (5.3 inches)
 
⚠️ Condition
The four large plates are intact and in very good vintage condition with minor surface wear and light rubbing to the gold rim.
The small plate has a visible crack/repair that has been fixed (see photos). Given that these pieces were hand-painted, the repair can be displayed as part of their history, or the plate can be used as a spare/for parts.
Due to the hand-painted nature of the marks, positive identification of the maker is impossible. The style suggests it may be related to Kutani or a similar export ware.
 
🧠 Background
Scenic Japanese plates featuring Mount Fuji and famous landmarks like Kinkaku-ji were popular export items from the Meiji (1868-1912) through the early Showa periods (1926-1989). Many were produced by decorating studios rather than major kilns, which is why the marks are often difficult to identify. They were prized by Western markets for their beautiful, exotic, and artistic designs.