Petite Blue & White Inban Dish

This petite Japanese dish is patterned with a bright, cobalt blue design of flowers and leaves, arranged to form a large, five-petal plum or cherry blossom. A type of porcelain ware known as inban, the dish was decorated using a paper stencil - a Meiji-era technique to meet demands for the ever-popular blue-and-white style. The little dish is finished with a glossy clear glaze and a gilded rim.