A Japanese Antique Kakiemon Plate from Arita

A milky white dish with slight scalloped rim and decorated with cobalt blue iron red and green enamel over glaze, this delicate piece in Kakiemon Style was dated at least to the early 18th century if not earlier, likely made for export market to the west. The top surface of the plate features a sparse and a slightly asymmetrical arrangement of wheat sheaf bundles and prunus branches. The base was marked with six Chinese character "Qi Yu Bao Ding Zhi Zhen", a mark that was used in the non-royal kilns during the reign of Kang Xi in Qing Dynasty (1661 to 1722). This mark was used both during and after the reign in China and sometimes in Japan, thus not an indication of date or origin.
Provenance: Former collection the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL, acquired in 1977 purportedly. ,
Background: From the mid-17th century, Kakiemon wares were produced at the factories of Arita, Saga Prefecture, Japan with much in common with the Chinese "Famille Verte" style. The superb quality of its enamel decoration was highly prized in the West and widely imitated by the major European porcelain manufacturers. Similar designs can be found on copied on pieces produced by Meissen in the middle of 18th century, suggesting the age of this piece predating mid-18th century. By Mid-18th century, the export of porcelain from Japan was halted.