Description
This Japanese Meiji Period Satsuma Buddha and Rakan Plate dates to circa 1890. Made from finely potted earthenware, the circular plate is decorated with a densely worked Buddhist scene (Jūroku Rakan) centred on Shakyamuni Buddha, seated with a gilt halo and his right hand raised in the Abhaya Mudra, the gesture associated with reassurance and protection.
Buddha is surrounded by a group of Rakan, the enlightened disciples of Buddhist tradition, each individually painted with distinctive facial features, robes and attributes. Their varied expressions, closely worked garments and gilt detailing give each figure a separate character within the composition. A shishi guardian lion appears beneath Buddha, while a female attendant stands nearby. The figures are set within a landscape of distant temple buildings, mountains and a mature pine tree.
The decoration is executed in polychrome enamels with extensive gilt and areas of raised moriage work, particularly visible across the halos and textile patterns. Fine stippling and gilt line work cover much of the cream coloured crackle glazed surface, while a geometric gilt border frames the composition around the rim.
The reverse is left predominantly undecorated and bears a small rectangular painter’s mark to the centre, now heavily rubbed and no longer fully legible after more than a century of handling. A second potter’s mark appears around the foot rim, although this too is only partially legible and cannot presently be identified with confidence.
View the full Japanese Satsuma Vase Collection.
MEASUREMENTS
26cm Diameter x 4.5cm High (10.24 x 1.77 Inches)
CONDITION
Very Good antique condition, no damage no restoration.
Literature
– Met Museum Collaborative Painting of Sixteen Arhats, 十六羅漢図合作 (Jūroku rakan zu gassaku) Object Number 2020.92
– Harvard Art Museums Triptych: Actors as the Sixteen Arhats (Mitate: Jūroku Rakan) Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳, Japanese (1798 – 1861) Object Number 1933.4.658.-659
– British Museum Angaja, thirteenth of the sixteen arhats Object Number 1881,1210,0.3.JA
What is Jūroku Rakan?
The Jūroku Rakan, or Sixteen Rakan, are a revered group of elder Buddhist monks personally charged by Shakyamuni Buddha to remain in the world and protect his teachings, Dharma, until the arrival of the future Buddha, Maitreya. Originating in classical Indian and Chinese scriptures, the tradition became a major theme in Japanese temple scroll paintings from the Heian period onwards before making its way into Edo and Meiji period fine decorative arts.
Unlike the serene, symmetrical perfection seen in depictions of Buddha, the Jūroku Rakan are portrayed with intense ascetic realism. Artists render them as elder, gaunt monks with highly individualised faces, pronounced brows, and unique spiritual attributes such as sutra scrolls, prayer beads, and fly whisks. In Japanese visual tradition, depicting the Sixteen Rakan represents the ultimate celebration of monastic discipline, devotion, and spiritual endurance.
What are Rakan?
Rakan, derived from the Sanskrit term Arhat, are the fully enlightened disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha within the Buddhist tradition. In East Asian Mahayana Buddhism, Rakan hold a profoundly sacred position as spiritual guardians. Having attained spiritual awakening and overcome all worldly attachments to break the cycle of rebirth, samsara, these master disciples deliberately choose to delay their final entry into Nirvana. Instead, they remain present in the world to preserve and protect the Buddha’s teachings, Dharma, until the arrival of the future Buddha, Maitreya. In classical Japanese art, most notably depicted in the revered Jūroku Rakan zu (Sixteen Rakan) narrative, they represent the ultimate figures of monastic discipline, spiritual endurance, and devotion.
Unlike the serene, idealised perfection of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Rakan are distinctive in Japanese fine art for their intense ascetic realism. They are traditionally portrayed as elder, gaunt monks featuring deeply expressive faces, pronounced brows, untamed facial hair, and long earlobes, highlighting a life dedicated to rigorous meditation. Rendered with golden disc halos, gōki, and adorned in intricate monastic robes, kesa, individual Rakan are frequently shown wielding sacred attributes such as prayer beads, juzu, fly whisks, hossu, and sutra scrolls. Depicting the Sixteen Rakan surrounding Shakyamuni Buddha brings a detailed, narrative layer to late 19th century Japanese ceramics, directly adapting classical Buddhist scroll painting traditions on to decorated earthenware.
WHAT IS THE JAPANESE MEIJI PERIOD (1868-1912)?
The Meiji era marked Japan’s transformation into a modern nation and a golden age of decorative arts. With the end of samurai rule and Japan’s opening to the West, artisans produced works of exceptional quality for both domestic and international audiences. Supported by the government through world fairs and Imperial commissions, Japanese lacquerware, cloisonné, satsuma ceramics, bronzes, and ivory carvings reached collectors worldwide. Many leading artists of the time, including Makuzu Kozan and Namikawa Yasuyuki, were honoured as Imperial Household Artists, ensuring the Meiji period remains one of the most celebrated eras of Japanese art.
For further information please see our article Japanese Meiji Period: Art, Collecting, and Cultural Transformation.
WHAT IS SATSUMA WARE?
Satsuma ware originated in southern Kyushu around 1600 and developed into one of Japan’s most recognisable ceramics. Early Ko-Satsuma pieces were rustic, dark-clay wares made for everyday use, while the later Kyo-Satsuma style became famous worldwide during the Meiji period.
Characterised by ivory crackled glaze, delicate overglaze enamels, and lavish gilding, export Satsuma appealed strongly to Western collectors. Designs often feature landscapes, flowers, figures, and scenes from Japanese life and mythology. Renowned artists such as Yabu Meizan, Ryozan, and the Kinkozan workshop produced some of the finest examples, which remain highly sought after today. Genuine Satsuma can often be identified by the Shimazu crest, artist signatures, or the mark “Dai Nippon” used during the Meiji era.
For further information on the history of Satsuma Ware please see our article Japanese Satsuma Ware.
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