Bowl with a design of Dutchmen and ships

This type of design featuring Dutchmen is one of the classic designs of ko-Imari. Since the decoration includes Dutch ships, three on the interior and two on the exterior, it is known as gosōsen meaning five ships. The background is covered with lozenge-shaped patterns, each adorned with a chrysanthemum flower, and the mouth rim is decorated with a design of yōraku (tassel). The bowl is a wonderful example of some-nishiki, a term refering to vessels that are decorated in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels and heightned with gold.