Focus on Khalili Imperial Garniture and explain the Decoration and symbolism.
The idea for the design is credited to "Mr. Shin Shiwoda, Special Counsellor for the Arts of the Japanese Commission for the World's Columbian Exposition". 
The three vases depict a dragon, chickens, and eagles, respectively representing the virtues of wisdom, honesty and strength. The imagery also has a geographical meaning, with the dragon representing China, the eagles Russia, a rising sun for Japan, chickens for the Korean Islands and the bronze eagle on the central censer representing the United States.  The handles of the censer are shaped like chrysanthemums, the symbol of the Japanese Imperial family. The general design also includes the four seasons of the year, with opposite sides of one vase showing autumn and winter scenes. The eagle's appearance on a winter background, driving other birds before it, represents Russia's advance into East Asia. The dragon representing China is depicted among summer clouds, heading towards autumn. The reverse of this vase depicts plover over waves. Japan's rising sun appears in a spring scene, suggesting "gladness and general revival".
The neck of each vase features a striped red and white pattern with inlaid silver stars. The stars and stripes decorated with chrysanthemums and vines symbolise partnership between Japan and the United States.The Japan Weekly Mail of 15 April 1893 gave this interpretation of the design:"Russia swooping down upon Korea finds her aggressive designs thwarted by China and Japan, while the Stars and Stripes wave their protecting folds over all; the American eagle spreads its wings above a scene where Korea, rescued and reviving on the threshold of spring, passes into the sunshine and bloom of Japan's early summer; the national flags of the United States and her Oriental friend intertwine everywhere overhead."
The garniture was thus a political statement about how Japan saw its new status in the world, as a land of new beginnings that was emerging as the major regional power, allied with the United States against an encroaching Russia. Events in the two decades after the World's Columbian Exposition unfolded similarly to what was depicted allegorically by the garniture. The First Sino-Japanese war ended with Japan defeating China and gaining control of the Korean peninsula, preventing Russia's advance into that territory. Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese war made it the first Asian nation to defeat a Western power.
Korea United States plover Korean Islands virtues Russo-Japanese war First Sino-Japanese war dragon Japanese allegorical censer China Korean peninsula World's Columbian Exposition Japan garniture chrysanthemum Russia