Bidamount News June 12, 2026, Vol 634
This week's story is a very interesitng article to go along with our video this week featuring a 57 lot auction of FINE Satsuma
Dutch museums house a wide variety of Japanese ceramics produced in Arita, located on the island of Kyushu, which became known as Imari and the more prestigious Kakiemon. This primarily concerns export porcelain, such as tableware and tea ware. Trade in this porcelain to Europe peaked from the late seventeenth to the eighteenth century. In the second half of the nineteenth century, however, a very different type of Japanese ceramics dominated the Western market: Satsuma. Strangely enough, objects decorated in this style are virtually absent from the permanent collections of Dutch museums, and there is also little attention paid to them in the literature.
The amount of Satsuma ceramics in museum collections is relatively small, and furthermore, there is little knowledge regarding the precise provenance of these objects. Nevertheless, the total Dutch collection of these ceramics is of considerable art-historical value and provides a beautiful visual overview of the history of one of the most dynamic ceramics industries in nineteenth-century Japan.
The early beginnings of Satsuma ceramics and Satsuma kinrande
The origins of the ceramics industry in the Satsuma domain (present-day Kagoshima) date back to the late sixteenth century and are linked to the Japanese invasions (1592-93; 1597-98) of the Korean peninsula led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598). As a result of these invasions, the daimyō (feudal lords) who had supported Toyotomi brought Korean potter families into their feudal domains as prisoners of war to produce ceramics. The Shimazu family, head of the Satsuma clan, dispersed the Korean population throughout the entire Satsuma domain. The potters were settled in various places with abundant natural resources, including Tateno, Naeshirogawa, Ryūmonji, Hirasa, and Nishimochida. Consequently, a wide variety of pottery was soon produced in these areas under what is now referred to as 'Satsuma ceramics'.
Satsuma ceramics are primarily divided into two groups: 'black Satsuma'—dark glazed earthenware for everyday use (Fig. 1), and 'white Satsuma'—ceramics with a cream-colored, crackle glaze originally based on Korean tea ware from the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) (Fig. 2). In the eighteenth century, the enameling technique (known in Japanese as nishikide ) was introduced from Kyoto, causing white Satsuma to gradually become more decorated with gold and colors. This later became known as ' Satsuma nishikide' or the more familiar ' Satsuma kinrande', referring to the dominant use of gold (Fig. 3) . The word kinrande means 'gold' or 'brocade' in Japanese.
1. Dust tea caddy with a blue-black glaze, Kagoshima, Japan, 1600-1800, h. 9 x diam. 6.8 cm, earthenware, Rijksmuseum (loan KVVAK), AK-MAK-757
2. Three-legged bowl with animal heads and a weapon, Kagoshima, Japan, 18th century, h. 14.2 x diam. 19.9 cm, earthenware, Rijksmuseum (loan KVVAK), AK-MAK-849
3. Incense box with flowering plants, Japan, ca. 1860-1880, h. 5.4 x w. 3.4 x l. 4.2 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Rijksmuseum (loan KVVAK), AK-MAK-833
Originally, Satsuma ceramics were produced only for the domestic market, with the white type being produced exclusively for the feudal elite and therefore could not be purchased on the public market. However, in the nineteenth century, the then- daimyō Shimazu Nariakira (1809–1858) changed this. When he came to power in 1851, he launched the Shuseikan Project (1851–1915), which aimed to modernize Japanese industry by implementing Western technology and factories. Nariakira saw great potential in Satsuma kinrande as an export product and lifted the restrictions on the sale of white Satsuma. Additionally, he had modern ceramics workshops built where ceramists could experiment with Western enamel techniques. As a result, production as well as the quality of Satsuma kinrande improved significantly.
Satsuma export ceramics: A craze in the West
During the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1867), the first world exhibition in which Japan represented itself, Satsuma ceramics—particularly Satsuma kinrande — were shown to the Western public for the first time. It was an immediate success, both in Europe and in America. Art critics and historians praised 'Satsuma', as it came to be known in the West, as a pinnacle of Japanese craftsmanship in which they also recognized Western aesthetics. The use of asymmetry, the colorful compositions in enamel and gold, and the naturalistic decorations on Satsuma were the fresh artistic breeze that Western art lovers so craved following the impact of the Industrial Revolution on art and craft. The craze intensified even further during the subsequent world exhibitions, particularly thanks to the magnificent works exhibited by Chin Jukan (1835–1906), Kinkōzai Sōbei VII (1868–1927), and Miyagawa Kōzan (1842–1916), among others (Figs. 4-5).
To meet the enormous surge in demand for Satsuma kinrande, Japanese production spread to metropolises such as Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto. Consequently, the name no longer referred to a type of ceramics produced in the Satsuma domain, but rather to a decorative style characterized by cream-white crackle glaze and rich embellishments in enamel and gold. The Satsuma style became a medium for Japanese ceramists to experiment with the latest firing and decoration techniques from the West. At the same time, it was a way for them to explore their artistic freedom and thus carve out a place for themselves in a competitive market.
However, the craze for Satsuma ceramics in Europe and America lasted only a few decades. The market was soon flooded with products of inferior quality, putting an end to the romanticized image the West had of Japan as a pre-industrial oasis where traditional craftsmanship was still highly valued. Due to the saturation of the Satsuma market, the many Japanese ceramics workshops could no longer stay afloat, and successors to potter families no longer saw a future in this branch of the ceramics industry. The international economic crisis in the years following the First World War marked the definitive end of the Satsuma export industry, which had completely died out by around 1930.
4. A pair of vases with cats and mice in relief, Miyagawa Kōzan 宮川香山 (1842–1916), Kyoto, Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912), h. 34.5 x w. 18 cm, stoneware with enamel colors and gilding, Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum
5. Ornamental pot with an auspicious design of a pair of phoenixes, Kinkōzan Sōbei VII 七代錦光山宗兵衛 (1868–1927), Kyoto, Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912), h. 46.4 x diam. 23.2 cm, stoneware with enamel colors and gilding, Tokyo National Museum
Satsuma in the Dutch museum landscape
Despite the importance of Satsuma in Japanese ceramics history described above, and as a major Japanese export product to Europe during the period 1870–1930, this ceramics is rarely visible in the permanent collections of Dutch museums. What are the reasons for this?
Unlike Japanese Imari and Kakiemon porcelain, which was shipped en masse to the Netherlands in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and imitated locally, Satsuma never occupied a dominant position on the Dutch ceramics market. Did Satsuma—with its bright colors and gold decorations—not align with the Dutch aesthetic? That seems doubtful, given that a large quantity of this ceramics is still present in many private collections, although, remarkably enough, it is often of low quality. Were the better pieces perhaps too pricey? Or did they simply not end up in the Netherlands, since the primary trade in Satsuma ceramics was conducted through other European countries? These questions remain unanswered to date.
It is striking that the majority of Satsuma ceramics represented in Dutch museums are the result of donations and bequests from only a handful of collectors, particularly George Anders and Netty Bücher (Anders Collection), Herman Karel and Betsy Westendorp-Osieck (Westendorp-Osieck Collection), and Willem Jan Rust (Rust Collection). They shared a global perspective on collecting East Asian objects from diverse periods, ranging from antique Chinese and Japanese porcelain to more contemporary pieces. This shared approach may explain why Satsuma did find a place in their collections. They likely purchased these pieces primarily abroad, and they are all of relatively high quality.
6. Cloth tea caddy with plum blossoms and a decorative band, Japan, 19th century, h. 4 x diam. 5.8 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Rijksmuseum (loan KVVAK), AK-MAK-843
7. Teacup with textile pattern decoration, Kagoshima, Japan, 18th century, h. 5.3 x diam. 13.5 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, World Museum (purchased on 1 January 1902), RV-1264-7
8. Lidded box with figures in various scenes, Japan, 1870-1920, h. 7 x diam. 7.5 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Rijksmuseum (loan KVVAK), AK-MAK-1193
9. Lidded box with various flowers and plants and playing children, Senzan 泉山 (dates unknown), Japan, 1850-1920, h. 7 x diam. 14 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Groninger Museum (loan from Stichting Anders),2019.1228
10. Miniature vase with white cherry blossoms, Kinkōzan Sōbei VII 七代錦光山宗兵衛 (1868–1927), Kyoto, Japan, 1880-1920, h. 6.2 x diam. 4 cm, stoneware with enamel colors and gilding, Groninger Museum (loan Anders foundation), 2019.1224
11. Sake cup with couple in landscape, Kinkōzan Sōbei VII 七代錦光山宗兵衛 (1868–1927), Kyoto, Japan, 1880-1920, h. 2.5 x diam. 5 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Groninger Museum (loan from Stichting Anders), 2019.1226
Nevertheless, the total collection of Satsuma ceramics in Dutch museums should not be underestimated. It numbers some ninety objects distributed across the Wereldmuseum, the Rijksmuseum, Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Museum Prinsenhof Delft, Groninger Museum, and Kunstmuseum Den Haag. Together, they cover the entire production period of Satsuma ceramics, ranging from early pieces of the seventeenth century to a variety of export Satsuma from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The collection as a whole thus provides a representative overview of better and lesser quality Satsuma, the range of products produced by ceramic workshops, the variety of techniques applied in Satsuma ceramics, and the decorative elements that made this ceramics so popular in Europe and America. Below follows an overview of some typical pieces in these museum collections:
The Rijksmuseum houses a substantial collection of early Satsuma, ranging from black Satsuma tea caddies to white Satsuma and Satsuma kinrande (Figs. 1-3), with this cloth tea caddy and bowl being a fine example of how white Satsuma was gradually covered with more and more enamel (Figs. 6-7). In the period 1880-1890, when Satsuma had passed its initial peak, the Satsuma market in the West segmented into two main groups: the general public seeking a typical and fashionable Japanese product, and art collectors wishing to purchase masterpieces. As a result, there is a great difference in quality, as can be seen in two lidded boxes (Figs. 8-9). The first example features unrefined and excessive decoration in enamel and gold and lacks overall composition, whereas the second example, with its fine but modest decoration, emphasizes the craftsmanship of the maker. Some ceramics workshops produced objects of very diverse quality to cater to all types of customers, such as two objects produced in the workshop of Kinkōzan Sōbei VII (Figs. 10-11). The miniature vase with minuscule details was likely made for a true collector with an eye for quality, while the hastily finished sake cup served more as a playful Japanese object.
12. Lidded box with children in the garden, Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912), h. 3.5 x diam. 7.9 cm, stoneware with underglaze cobalt blue, enamel colours and gilding, World Museum (donation on 1 April 1908), RV-1656-37a
13. Charcoal burner with a geometric pattern and metal lid, Tanzan 丹山 studio, Kyoto, Japan, 19th century, h. 9 x diam. 8.2 cm, stoneware with enamel colours, metal (lid), Rijksmuseum (on loan from KVVAK), AK-MAK-862
14. Bowl decorated with a net pattern and butterflies, Senzan 泉山 (dates unknown), Japan, 1850-1920, h. 9.8 x diam. 22.5 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Groninger Museum (loan from Stichting Anders),2019.1229
15. Lidded vase with decoration of dancing frogs in the Nanga style and chrysanthemums in relief, Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912), h. 31 x diam. 21 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, World Museum (purchased on 1 November 1883), RV-420-26a
A lidded box and a charcoal burner from the Groningen Museum strikingly demonstrate how techniques adopted from the West were integrated into Satsuma ceramics (figs. 12-13), such as the blue background on the lid, also seen in Rococo-style decorated Sèvres porcelain, or the pâte-sur-pâte technique of the charcoal burner, in which slip is applied to the surface to create a relief. In addition, Japanese ceramists also experimented with their own techniques. They were known for combining decorations with the form of the object in an unconventional way. In this way, they transformed utilitarian objects into optical illusions and three-dimensional sculptures that seem to “grow” out of the surface of the porcelain (figs. 14, 15).
What made Satsuma kinrande particularly beloved in the West was the combination of Japanese and Western aesthetics. A beautiful example of this is two Art Nouveau vases in the Princessehof Ceramics Museum (figs. 16-17). This art movement, inspired by Japonism and the earlier Chinoiserie , in turn inspired Japanese ceramists to depict nature in a more stylistic manner. The delicate depictions of nature in the works are reminiscent of the Romantic style period of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The flamboyant arabesques and gold details are reminiscent of the eighteenth-century Rococo style.
The preceding examples show that the relatively small, yet nonetheless substantial, total collection of Satsuma objects in Dutch museums is worth exploring further. Although Satsuma export ceramics have historically meant little to the Dutch ceramics market, its popularity in Europe and America can be seen in the broader context of developments during that period. Moreover, it was undoubtedly one of the most dynamic export ceramics industries in nineteenth-century Japan and therefore deserves more attention in the permanent collections of Dutch museums.
16.A One of a pair of vases decorated with a pair of flying cranes in the Satsuma Art Nouveau style, Japan, 1890-1920, h. 15 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, MPH 2014-125.AB.
16.B One of a pair of vases decorated with a pair of flying cranes in the Satsuma Art Nouveau style, Japan, 1890-1920, h. 15 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, MPH 2014-125.AB.
17. Square vase with textile motif decoration in the Satsuma Art Nouveau style, Japan, 1890-1920, h. 31.1 x w. 4.7 cm, stoneware with enamel colours and gilding, Keramiekmuseum Princessehof (loan Ottema-Kingma Foun
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