Features
A rare size: at 50 cm in diameter this large dish is an uncommon size among Japanese ceramics, and is of high decorative and collectable value.
Fine workmanship: the rooster's feathers, comb and claws are all rendered in close linework and raised overglaze enamel, lifelike and clearly layered.
An auspicious emblem: in East Asian culture the rooster signifies "heralding good fortune at dawn" and the opening of a bright new day, making it an excellent ornament for a shop or an entrance hall.
A hand-written mark: the base is signed "Chūhō", underlining the artisan's hand and the potential of an attributed maker's piece.
◆ [Signed Artisan Piece · Kutani-style Charger] The rooster crows, calling in fortune
This charger stops you in your tracks at first sight.
At 50 cm it has real presence: a black glaze ground, a rooster crowing with wings spread at the centre of the scene, and elegant cloud motifs around it — entirely in the rich, sumptuous manner of Kutani ware.
The base is signed "Chūhō". This is not factory-made in quantity but the record of a Japanese artisan's own brush, stroke by stroke. The touch is fine and the modelling strongly three-dimensional; the dotted overglaze enamel on the comb in particular is a detail that holds the eye.
A dish like this is more than good to look at; it carries meaning. The rooster stands for bringing good news, attracting wealth and turning away misfortune, so placed in an entrance hall, a tea room, behind a counter or behind a desk it is both handsome and auspicious. It also makes a dignified gift for a shop opening.