A pair of Japanese Satsuma 'Shimazu Mon' vases on elephant feet, Meiji, 19th C.

H.: 40 cm

The neck of these vases is decorated with the Mon (badges) of the Shimazu family on both sides. They were the feudal lords of the province of Satsuma.The Shimazu family controlled the production of pottery in Japan from the end of the sixteenth century, when a family member returning from an invasion of Korea brought with him 17 skilled Korean potters. They built kilns and produced ceramics for the exclusive use of the powerful family. This workshop continued throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.