Sold Ceramics

2011329

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 17th Century - Tableware and other Porcelain with Western Shapes - Page 1

Object 2011329

Tankard / Beer mug

Japan

1660-1680

Height 130 mm (5.12 inch), diameter 85 mm (3.35 inch), diameter of mouthrim 85 mm (3.35 inch), diameter of footring 65 mm (2.56 inch)

Exhibited: The World at Home: Asian porcelain and Delft pottery held from 17 June 2017 to 10 March 2019 at the Groninger Museum, The Netherlands.

Tankard / beer mug on footring, splayed foot. Oviform body with broad neck. Curved pierced handle. Decorated in underglaze blue with a continuous landscape of flowering plants, rocks, plantains and swirling clouds.

For centuries lo-alcoholic beer had been a common less risky alternative to water, which often was quite polluted. There has therefore been a long design tradition of beer ware such as beer jugs, mugs and crucibles. As soon as the possibility arose of having porcelain copies of all kinds of practical Dutch (household) ware manufactured in China, beer jugs were also often made to order there. Both tall straight models as well as bulbous types were available. In Japan beer mugs were only manufactured for trade during a short period of time in the late 17th century. The existence of Delft copies of these jugs illustrates that there must have been a considerable demand for them in the Netherlands in those days. (source: Groninger Museum)

The shape of this tankard / beer mug is derived from a European pewter or stoneware model and is common among Japanese export ware of this period. (Jörg 2003/1)

For a similarly shaped or decorated tankards / beer mugs, please see:

• Chinesisches und japanisches Porzellan in europäischen Fassungen, ( D.F. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Verlag Klinkhardt & Biermann, Braunschweig,1980), p.390, cat. 413.
• H.A. Daendels, Catalogus tentoonstelling Japans blauw wit Porselein. Op Hollandse bestelling en in de Japanse smaak, exhibition catalogue Gemeentelijk Museum Het Princessehof, Leeuwarden 1981. Also Published as Mededelingenblad Nederlandse Vereniging van Vrienden van de Ceramiek, vols. 101/102, p.58, cat. 110 & p.72, cat. 112.
• Fine & Curious: Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections, (C.J.A. Jörg, Hotei publishing, Amsterdam, 2003), p.168, cat.197
• Ko-Imari from the collection of Oliver Impey, (Barry Davies Oriental Art, London, 1997), pp. 42-43, cat. 18.

Condition: Two firing flaws to the body and two firing flaws, both with connected hairlines, to the base. A chip to the rim.

References:

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1971, cat. 138

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1980, cat. 413

Daendels 1981, cat. 110 & 112

London 1997, cat. 18

Impey 2002, cat. 21

Jörg 2003/1, cat. 197

Groninger Museum

Price: Sold.

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