Late 19th Century Japanese Porcelain Sugar Shaker with Transfer Printed Geisha Design

This is an interesting, although crudely executed, example of a late 19th-century Japanese porcelain sugar shaker.

The upper part of the pot is of flattened globular form and is perforated with a series of sixteen holes, arranged in a four-by-four square. The holes are irregular and show traces of gilding, although this has since worn away. Below this, there is a short neck leading to the bell-shaped body, the base of which has a large central hole. This contains a new cork bung.

The pot is decorated with a broad band of terracotta-coloured enamel at the top and above the base. The main decoration consists of a transfer-printed scene of Geisha figures and countryside. The design has been highlighted with crudely applied strokes of pink, green, dark blue, black and terracotta.

It has a height of approximately 8.0cm and a diameter across the base of about 5.1cm.

It has an unwrapped weight of 60g.

It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks, although there are some missing areas within the enamel, which are manufacturing artefacts due to the handmade application of the design.