Vintage 1985 Chokin Art Plate Yoshinobu Hara – Mt Fuji

An Ancient Craft, A Timeless Mountain

Chokin — the centuries-old Japanese art of etching precious metals — finds one of its most evocative expressions in this limited edition collector's plate, produced in 1985 by Expressive Designs, Inc. under the Chokin franchise. Designed by Yoshinobu Hara, plate #2944 depicts a serene rural Japanese landscape anchored by the iconic silhouette of Mount Fuji, rendered with extraordinary precision through the ancient technique of etching into pure copper, then gilded with silver and gold.

The result is a piece of remarkable depth and luminosity — the interplay of gold and silver tones across the etched surface shifts with the light, bringing the mountain and its surrounding landscape to life with a quiet, meditative beauty. A traditional Japanese traveller figure moves through the scene, grounding the composition in the human scale of the journey.

At 15cm in diameter and 201g, this plate has a satisfying weight and presence. It is a genuine collector's piece — handmade, limited edition, and steeped in one of Japan's most distinguished decorative art traditions.