Satsuma vases and pottery is famous the world over due to the quality of the product and also the images, designs and production of the items too. Probably the most famous items of Satsuma Pottery are the vases and bowls that are lavishly adorned with colorful images of Japanese life, society, animals, plants and flowers. The enameled images form a glorious snapshot of historic Japan and also ensure that the items are very valuable and highly collectible.
Also made, but not as popular as the aforementioned items are the figurines made by the same factory and makers from the southern island of Japan and the ones that fall under the banner of being a piece of Satsuma earthenware. In fact, many people dispute that the satsuma figures were even made in this area as they are not too common and therefore may not be authentic. After all, the Satsuma name and brand was copied all over the world as it was so popular and always fetched a good price.
The proper pottery from this area is milky white or of a creamy complexion, with a light transparent glaze applied over the top of the figure which then dries with a thin crackled effect which is totally intentional. It is not a sign of age or that the item is an old antique. It is part of the design of the pieces and was one of the things that make Satsuma figures so recognizable.
The figures that were made over 300 years ago feature people from that era; perhaps a local notable person or person of high standing within the community. The clothing that they wear is intricately decorated with the enamel paint and the artists also used a technique that allowed certain parts of the enamel to be raised which gives the artwork on the statue an extra dimension and favorable look. The figures also seem to be slight caricatures of the people they perhaps resemble. Overly large figures and distorted faces and expressions are common. The figures are more often shown standing and holding itemssuch as fans, baskets or plants and flowers.
These figures are highly sought after items due to the fact that they are fairly seldom seen throughout the Japanese antiques market. There are many other Japanese statues and figures on sale all over the world, but only a hand full of them will truly be from the region that made the Satsuma name famous and valuable across the world.
