This set of plates was produced in the Meiji era (1868 - 1912). The dark, deep blue color development (hasshoku) in Sometsuke indicates the period in which the plates were made. Dishes like these were not made in a renowned studio whose works were reserved for the imperial family, the nobility, and other upper-class members. Instead, these were for us "commoners'" everyday lives. There is a trove of treasures that lie hidden in this category.
The masterful brush stroke to hand-paint one carp over the entire surface produces a dynamic effect. It is as if the carp is about to jump out of the plate at any minute. This "Carp with an Attitude" is playful yet elegant, quiet but teeming with life. It sparks the imagination as we curate a table setting with other plates and bowls or mount them on the wall as a work of objects. Works like these conjure up our wildest imagination.