Porcelain monkey from Hirado Kilns, seated and holding a hazelnut.

This Hirado okimono depicts a monkey, an animal belonging to the Chinese zodiac. The figure is made of white porcelain covered with a transparent, uniform glaze. The monkey’s coat is represented by a series of incisions visible under the glaze. The shell of the hazelnut is treated with cobalt blue underglaze, while the hazelnut itself is highlighted with ferruginous brown enamel.

The Hirado Kilns, located in Mikawachi in Nagasaki Prefecture, developed from the end of the 18th century. The animals of the zodiac were one of the first figurative subjects produced for the Hirado workshops. In the mid-19th century, the production of porcelain animals in Hirado tended to adapt to European tastes, leading to more sentimental and naturalistic representations.

Example similar to ours : Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Okimono in the Form of a Costumed Monkey, gift of Allan and Maxine Kurtzman (AC.1998.115.9).