Fanciful Images: Japanese Banko Ceramics

The 17th century Tokyo potter named Banko made pottery in a unique fashion with shapes and decorations include flowers, birds, monkeys, sea creatures and human figures. The late 19th century saw a revival of the Banko style and pieces were made in great numbers. Historical information on early 20th century Japanese Banko ware is quite scarce. This publication discusses the period and features approximately seventy whimsical pieces, both glazed and unglazed, as well as marbleware, from one of the largest private collections in the world.