Japan’s Meiji period (1868–1912) was characterized by a dynamic programme of modernization combined with active cultural and economic engagement with the West. Ceramic production, which was already widespread by the middle of the nineteenth century, flourished under the new governmental drive to compete with western industrialized nations. This included the employment of western advisers, notably the German chemist Gottfried Wagener (1831–92), and the introduction of modern technology.

Miyagawa Kozan (1842–1916) was one of the leading potters of his time. He demonstrated great versatility and technical innovation, and achieved considerable commercial success. Born into a potting family in Kyoto, he continued in the family business until 1871, when he established his own workshop at Ota, near the newly opened port of Yokohama. The Makuzu kiln was highly productive, catering to both domestic demands and the expanding western export market.

With its extraordinary high-relief decoration, this vase is a classic example of Japanese export ware aimed at the more extreme end of high Victorian taste. Although it would have been new when it was bought by the Museum in 1879, curatorial understanding of Japanese ceramics was extremely limited at that time and it was initially catalogued as dating to the eighteenth century.