Purchased for 260,000 yen for the pair. Hand-painted colors on translucent white porcelain. Arita-yaki, the general term for porcelain fired in and around Arita, Saga Prefecture, is considered the origin of porcelain in Japan. Its appeal lies in the white porcelain base and the diverse painting techniques, such as the evocative sometsuke (underglaze blue) and beautiful colored絵付け (e-tsuke, hand-painted decoration). This piece, with its adorable form, is particularly striking for its diverse ornamentation and brilliant colors, known as the Ko-Imari style. The pair of "a" and "un" guardian lions, adorned with bright and bold colors based on red, green, yellow, blue, and purple, are hand-painted one by one. While the coloring is stylish, it also conveys a sense of power to ward off evil, and it will command a strong presence wherever it is displayed. Size (approx.) / 【a】Height 21.0 x Width 12.0 x Depth 21.0 cm Weight (approx.) / 1.2 kg 【un】Height 21.0 x Width 12.0 x Depth 21.0 cm Weight (approx.) / 1.2 kg