Large Plate, Moonlit Forest

Komuro Shizuka's Large Plate is a large ceramic plate about 32 cm in diameter. Lines are carved into a black ground and color is laid on to paint a night forest under the moon, with a small house, a blue dog, birds and trees, and round nuts. The charm is in the painting, which feels like a scene from a picture book and tells a story. Leaves and birds run all around the rim too, so the picture still shows when food is served. At about 4 cm high, it has depth, and suits large shared dishes such as pasta, curry, simmered dishes and salads. The back has a pattern of linked black rings on a white ground, and it looks good standing on a shelf as a decorative plate. Each piece is painted by hand, so no two have the same picture.