Japan invaded Korea twice during the 1590s. Though Korea withstood the assaults, Japanese armies captured skilled artisans, metalworkers, and civilians. Korean potters taken to Kyushu Island advanced Japanese ceramics by introducing the climbing kiln and discovering kaolin clay deposits in the Arita area. These contributions, and the popularity of imported Chinese blueand- white porcelain, led to the Japanese production of dishes like this one. This dish reflects both Korean and Chinese ceramic traditions, with a purely Japanese motif of a few maple leaves and the suggestion of a meandering river. The palette is blue and white, but this imagery evokes the fall, when traveling to view the fleeting red maple leaves was—and remains—a popular activity in Japan.