Kakiemon plate with beast c. 1740

This is a Kakiemon plate with beast, made anonymously in Japan with enameled porcelain. What does it mean to see an object like this, made for wealthy consumers, now preserved in a museum? The image creates meaning through visual codes from both Japan and Europe. The decoration, with its refined asymmetry, evokes the natural world, and places it in an idealized design. This plate reflects a complex cultural and economic exchange. The porcelain was produced using kaolin clay, a material that was highly prized for its whiteness and translucence. Kakiemon porcelain became a symbol of status in Europe. Here we see images of beasts and flowers, that may have had a particular resonance for elite consumers. We can use business records from the Dutch East India Company and the letters of aristocratic families to better understand the social context of this plate and what it meant to those who used it.