Wedgwood | Bone China | Limited Edition Collector Plate | ‘Chrysanthemum’ | Haruyo Martin | Treasures of the Moon Series | England

The chrysanthemum is Japan’s imperial flower — a bloom that carries, quietly, the weight of continuity.

Haruyo Martin is a Japanese-born artist whose work draws on the classical tradition of kachō-ga — a genre concerned not only with representation, but with balance, seasonality, and the symbolic relationship between living things. Her contribution to the Treasures of the Moon series, produced by The Bradford Exchange on Wedgwood fine bone china, translates this tradition into a Western collector format while retaining its essential visual language.

The Chrysanthemum plate is number 2 in the series (Bradex 26-W90-71.2), issued in a limited edition restricted to a maximum of 75 firing days. This example is individually numbered 2210A and bears the artist’s signature “Haruyo” on the face. The original Certificate of Authenticity, signed by both the artist and Wedgwood, accompanies the piece.

The composition is set against a deep cobalt ground, the surface carrying a finely rendered arrangement of white chrysanthemum blooms with serrated green foliage, interwoven with autumn maple leaves in red and burnt orange. A pair of small songbirds perch together along a stem, facing one another — a traditional kachō-ga motif signifying harmony and companionship. The botanical forms are delicately outlined in gold, with a gilt band completing the rim.

The reverse carries the full factory and series backstamps, together with the Bradex reference.

The plate remains in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. The gilding is intact throughout.

Key Details

• Maker: Wedgwood, England
• Artist: Haruyo Martin
• Series: Treasures of the Moon
• Design: Chrysanthemum
• Bradex: 26-W90-71.2
• Plate Number: 2210A
• Edition: Limited to 75 firing days
• Certificate: Present, signed
• Diameter: 20.3 cm
• Condition: Excellent; no chips, cracks, or restoration

Collector Appeal

Wedgwood collector plates occupy a nuanced position: widely produced, but selectively retained. Examples that combine a recognised maker, a named artist, full documentation, and strong decorative execution — as here — tend to outperform generic series plates. The inclusion of the certificate, clear numbering, and the use of traditional Japanese subject matter give this piece a more defined collector audience than most.

Two birds leaning toward one another on a single branch — a composition as old as the tradition itself, and still enough to hold attention.