Nippon Inkwell with Moriage

Marked hand painted Nippon inkwell, square-shaped, white with blue and pink roses, with raised gold moriage accents. There is a chip on the edge of the inkwell.

Moriage describes a time-consuming technique of applying layers of enamel on top of each other to build up a three-dimensional effect. The term is more commonly used to describe the application of a string line relief design to ceramics.

The moriage decorating technique on pottery and porcelain dates to the mid-1700s. Until the late 18th century, it was primarily used on pieces sold in Japan. Beginning in 1880, Japanese ceramic manufacturers began using the technique on pieces made for export to the United States. Moriage was a favorite decorative motif during the Nippon period (1890-1921).

The moriage decoration was applied either before or after glazing. Three methods were used: (1) rolled slip was applied manually; (2) tubing or slip trailing similar to icing a cake; and (3) the brushing of liquid slip. The Japanese called this latter technique hankeme.