This large octagonal dish with stylised chrysanthemum design was made by Imaizumi Imaemon XIII. He was from an important family of ceramic decorators who, during the Edo period (1615-1868), had been employed as official decorators by the Nabeshima clan of southern Japan. Early Nabeshima wares are characterized by an extremely high standard of both potting and decoration. Because they were reserved for private use, they were virtually unknown in the West before the late 19th century. The maker of this dish may be credited with the introduction of artistic and technical innovations that took the Nabeshima tradition forward into the late 20th century. The piece combines classical Nabeshima features, such as the precise shading of the underglaze blue and the particular hue of the turquoise enamel, with a shape and patterning whose geometric formality has been inspired by Islamic models.