Large Chinese Export Umbrella Stand (RARE SIZE) – Satsuma Style Scenic Porcelain, Hand-Painted, c. 1950 🎨⛩️👑

This large-scale porcelain umbrella stand is a visually arresting antique item, serving as a powerful floor accent for a sophisticated interior environment. Its size and dense artistry immediately establish it as a top-shelf decorative acquisition, designed for maximum visual impact in an entryway or formal room.

Classified as mid-century Chinese Export Ware in the popular Satsuma-style, this piece is an artifact of the post-war global trade in decorative arts. The value of this vessel is derived from its grand scale, its vibrant, hand-painted scenes, and the sheer density of its intricate ornamentation.

The meticulous application of gilding and raised enamel accents demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship intended for a discerning international market. For a collector, this piece represents not only a functional antique but a strategic design element that commands attention.

2. About the Artwork/Object 📖✍️✨

This cylindrical vessel is defined by three primary decorative components: the scenic panels, the dense floral fields, and the intricate border work.

The central decoration is contained within large, framed cartouches that depict pastoral scenes of traditional figures enjoying a peaceful river or lake setting. One panel shows women in opulent kimonos in a decorative boat, navigating waves near a weeping willow and distant mountains. Another features a figure standing on a bridge, overlooking the rich landscape.

These scenes are framed by deep, black-stippled fields covered in a dense, lush pattern of multi-colored chrysanthemums and other florals, detailed with Moriage (raised enamel dots) and gold gilt. The base and rim feature stylized borders with repeating geometric and floral motifs, reinforcing the object's ornamental gravitas.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

This item is an unmarked product of the mid-20th century Chinese porcelain export industry. The decorative style is a direct adoption of the Japanese Satsuma aesthetic, characterized by its crackled glaze, highly detailed polychrome enamel, and extensive gold work.

This specific piece was produced during a period when Chinese workshops were catering to the high Western demand for decorative Asian arts, particularly the gilded, narrative-driven style of Satsuma ware.

While the individual master artist is anonymous, the piece is a product of a specialized collective of artisans. The base mark "MADE IN CHINA SATSUMA" explicitly confirms the dual identity of the piece—its country of origin and its stylistic inspiration. This designation places it firmly within the tradition of high-quality, commercially successful 20th-century Asian export ceramics.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

This umbrella stand was created during the mid-20th century (c. 1950-1970), a period of major global economic expansion and intense interest in international decorative arts. Following World War II, there was a significant rise in middle-class affluence in the US and Europe, fueling a booming market for imported home décor.

The Satsuma style became a global commodity, and the inclusion of the name on Chinese-made items reflects a commercial strategy to leverage that established brand recognition.

This piece stands as a tangible time capsule of a globalized economy, illustrating how artistic styles and trade practices intersected to meet consumer demand. The aesthetic choices—the dense gilding and elaborate detail—were designed to appeal to the period's preference for opulence and exotic flair in home furnishings.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This large porcelain vessel is an acquisition for a Curator of Global Decorative Arts or a High-End Interior Designer focused on statement pieces. It is the ideal accent for a collector who appreciates the fusion of Chinese craftsmanship with the Japanese aesthetic influence.

The buyer for this piece is one who curates a space with a focus on grand scale and rich visual texture, for instance, someone decorating a five-star luxury hotel lobby or a formal traditional-style library. This umbrella stand’s commanding presence and intricate detail ensure it will serve as the centerpiece of a room's aesthetic narrative, not merely a complementary item.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This Chinese export umbrella stand, produced circa 1960, is approximately 65 years old, a period that saw a prolific output of decorative ceramics. Its value is not based on historical scarcity, but on Aesthetic Premium and structural integrity.

The rarity lies in its exceptional scale (approx. 27.5 inches tall) and its near-pristine physical condition, which is difficult to find for a large floor vessel. The dense application of enamel and gold across a continuous surface for its height is a costly, detailed process that justifies a premium valuation.

For the discerning collector, this piece represents a superior example of its category—a high-quality production of a popular mid-century style that has survived decades in display-ready condition.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This vintage decorative umbrella stand is in excellent, collector-grade condition, showing minimal wear commensurate with its age. The condition report is as follows:

• Vibrant and Intact Artistry: The hand-painted polychrome enamels and dense gold gilding are bright and fully preserved across the entire surface.

• Crackled Glaze: The porcelain exhibits a natural, uniform crackle finish, which is an intentional, characteristic feature of the style and not a defect.

• Structural Integrity: The vessel is structurally sound, with no evidence of chips, cracks, hairlines, or repairs to the rim, base, or body.

• Base Mark: The "MADE IN CHINA SATSUMA" mark is clearly visible on the unglazed base, as confirmed by the photo analysis.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The Satsuma Style: The original Satsuma style of pottery originated in Kagoshima, Japan, in the late 16th century, and was historically known for its soft, buff-colored earthenware and crackled glaze.

• The Moriage Technique: The raised white and blue dots applied over the floral patterns are known as Moriage, a specialized Japanese ceramic technique that creates a tactile, three-dimensional texture on the surface.

• Export Mark Mandate: The English mark "MADE IN CHINA" was a direct result of the U.S. McKinley Tariff Act of 1890, which required all imported goods to be clearly marked with their country of origin.

• Cultural Fusion: The decorative panels, with their emphasis on figures and dramatic mountain landscapes, show a clear blending of traditional Chinese ceramic painting techniques with the bold, narrative-driven aesthetic of Japanese export ware.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Item Name: Large Cylindrical Umbrella Stand

• Maker/Style: Chinese Export (Satsuma Style)

• Period: Mid-20th Century (c. 1950-1970)

• Medium/Material: Glazed and Hand-Painted Porcelain with Gold Gilt and Moriage Enamel

• Decoration: Multi-Panel Scenic Landscapes with Figures and Dense Floral Fields

• Approximate Height: 27.5 inches

• Approximate Diameter: 9.0 inches

• Marking Transcription (Verbatim from Base): MADE IN CHINA / 中國制造 / SATSUMA