For centuries, Imari porcelain has been a staple in the timeless, classic home. Imari is a style of porcelain named after the Japanese port from which it was shipped to the West, beginning in the late 17th century. Originally made in the town now known as Arita, Imari ware (also called Japan or Japan ware), took its design cues from colorful Japanese textiles of the day. Exotic landscapes, gnarled trees, long-winged birds such as cranes, and depictions of courtesans in exquisitely detailed kimonos are just a few examples of the most common Imari imagery. The most frequent Imari palette revolved around three main colors—the blue underglaze, plus a rusty reddish-orange and a brilliant gold. The popularity of this trio led to countless imitations in the West including Meissen in Germany and Spode in England, both of whom copied Imari freely. (source)
Imari is beautiful on its own or when mixed with blue and white Chinese export and English Staffordshire. Below are several examples of how to incorporate classic Imari within your home.
The French Tangerine (this home has an AMAZING collection of Imari!)
Town & Country House These are die-cut placemats from Caspari!
Do you collect Imari porcelain, and if so, how do you display it in your home? Etsy and eBay are two of my favorite resources for collecting, and I have selected some beautiful pieces below if you are looking to begin or add to a collection… Enjoy!
Design Crush: Andrew Maier, Inc.
Design Crush: Patricia McLean Interiors
Otto Zenke Homes for Sale
A 1939 Georgian-Style Farmhouse by Susan Zises Green
Love seeing all the beautiful Imari
Wow, that’s a lot of beautiful stuff in one post. Beauty overload!!! I love it. I don’t know how you do it, Andrea. Every single image was absolutely stunning. I love Imari, and it seems that people who collect it have wonderful taste in interiors. Thanks, I needed that.
Lovely! Am a porcelain lover and appreciate all of the ways to incorporate it into one’s life!
I sold quite a bit of Japanese Imari when I was in the antiques business. What a pleasure to help customers build their collection. I preferred the Chinese Imari in many cases because the painting was so meticulous and the palette softer, but the boldness of some Japanese Imari is also to be admired. After so many years of buying and selling, you begin to look for the rare shapes and pieces, which are a great buy right now as Imari is having a lull….but not for long…it always comes back!
Thank you once again for making my day a little brighter with such beautiful images. These collections are beautiful and impart so much soul and personality to each room. I would love to see where you do a piece about the family rose style of Chinese porcelain.
Wow! Fabulous post dear Andrea!
Oscar Wilde would be impressed too!
The Jacques Garcia and old House and Garden images were some of my faves-
Beautiful post!
Dean
Our Imari collection has come out of the china cabinet and will now go above a mirror in our dining room. Love the variations of Imari pattern and color. Love our Imari and our blue and white. Always mixes well together.
Do you have any ideas for using Imari in transitional spaces? I recently renovated and have a very light everything house but I’m left not knowing what to do with my Imari collection…
Thank you for this informative post! I am an Imari newbie. I fell in love with it in the movie “Crimson Peak,” where the heroine is slowly being poisoned via tea served in gorgeous Royal Crown Derby Imari tea cups. It took me forever to track down the pattern, and now I am smitten. It is so great to learn more about it!
I’ve been scouring eBay and Etsy but have yet to find any of the gorgeous octagonal Imari plates that Jane Scott Hodges uses in some of Leontine Linens’ product photos. Drool!
Hi Carrie,
Oh, I would love to see a picture of the ones used by Jane Scott Hodges!
Xx,
Andrea
The Glam Pad
Beautiful post and very much enjoyed. I was on a business trip to Tokyo with my husband and received 4 tea cups and saucers in Imari on one of the many times I was able to go. Loved my time there. They were very generous each time I accompanied my husband. Didn’t mean to veer off. I really always look forward to your posts. Thank You!!!
I’ve been collecting Imari for a while now. If you’re careful you can find great deals on Imari pieces on ebay and etsy. Although it’s not super fashionable right now, I think you might have just changed that with this post, Andrea!
When we were in design school in New York, we learned about the thing called “Porcelain mania” that became very fashionable with the royals and aristos of Europe-
Reference books such as” Royal Palaces” to see examples of whole rooms covered in porcelain!
Note to Shirley: Perhaps use your collection in a hall or a guest bath?