A blue and white pottery bowl fired in the Hizen Hirado area in the early Edo period. Its loquat-coloured surface is covered with deep crazing, and the cobalt decoration has darkened to black. Although it resembles the so-called “Kihara Chawan,” this bowl is notably larger than typical examples. Based on the footring outline, it is estimated to have been produced between the 1660s and 1680s.

Due to the Qing dynasty’s Haijin (海禁) or sea ban policy, the export supply of Chinese blue and white porcelain drastically decreased, and Hizen blue and white wares were received as a substitute. Most of the large bowls were for export to Southeast Asia, and the crudely painted in imitation of Chinese carp and dragon-patterned designs are well known. Same as those ones, this piece was probably produced for export as well.

Although the title were named Kihara ware, similar blue and white pottery pieces were made in nearby kilns, so the exact origin remains uncertain. The bowl has two repairs on the lip, and due to its rarity in Japan, it was once misidentified as a Chinese work, with the box marked “Old Nanjing Sometsuke.”