This book was written with the interests of the collector of Japanese porcelain of the period between the middle of the 17th century and the beginning of the 19th century in mind. In a historical survey an attempt has made to set out the key events from three points of view. 1. The development of Japanese porcelain from the beginning of the 17th century on, the production of blue-and-white wares at Kyushu during the first five decennia, the invention of enamelling and the resulting polychrome wares on.
2. The fact that this development was seemingly perfectly timed to meet the needs of the foreign trade: The Portuguese pioneers penetrating the traditional Chinese trade area during the 16th. century, the mighty enterprise of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century, its incredible amounts of Chinese porcelain shipped by them during the first half of that century and the export of Japanese ware from 1654 on, and finally the reorientation of the VOC to Chinese porcelain.
3. All this observed against the background of the increasing influence of the Tokugawa Shogunate on artistic life inside Japan, the strong traditional Chinese and Korean influences, present and appreciated for many centuries, being suppressed as a result of the isolationist policy and making way for Japanese national consciousness and later on for European influences.
An important chapter is devoted to the techniques of porcelain making in Old Japan, Attention has been paid to such types as kilns, clay-composition, firing processes, basic enamel-colours and -compositions, spur marks, etc.
Description of types of Japanese porcelain presenting the facts about and characteristics of blue-and -white ware, Imari ware, Kakiemon, Kutani ware and Nabeshima ware. Hirado ware is only mentioned briefly.