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2011924
2011924

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2011924

 

Bowl

 

Japan

 

1700-1730

 

Height 63 mm (2.48 inch), diameter of rim 110 mm (4.33 inch), diameter of footring 45 mm (1.77 inch), weight 167 grams (5.89 ounce (oz.))

 

Octagonal bowl on footring, steep sides and an underglaze brown-edged rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with a continuous scene of a figure and attendant carrying a parasol near a waterfall and two figures seated on a table in a rocky landscape. The well with a five branch snowflake floret within a double circle, the rim with a band of zig-zag lines and dots. Marked on the base with a square fuku (good luck) mark in running script.

 

For an identically, shaped, sized and decorated bowl, please see:

For a similarly shaped and decorated bowl, please see:

Condition: A tiny frit to the rim.

 

References:

Godden 1979, cat. 223

London 1997, cat. 77

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2012421
2012421

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2012421

 

Bowl

 

Japan

 

First quarter 18th century

 

Height 55 mm (2.17 inch), diameter of rim 150 mm (5.90 inch), diameter of foot 37 mm (1.46 inch), weight 194 grams (6.84 ounce (oz.))

 

Bowl on a firing ring, spreading sides with a slightly flaring rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with a seated lady, flanked by children holding and waving a fan, in a theatre like setting. The lady observes the lodge of the theatre filled with a hundred children. The reverse is undecorated.

 

The lady depicted is most likely the Chinese goddess Guan Yin. Porcelain decorated with this design is known as 'Guan Yin in the hall of the hundred children'. Two versions of the design are known, one as described the other with a banderol filled with Chinese characters just above the box of the seated Guan Yin. The dishes were probably made from the end of the seventeenth century and for many decades. The design probably originated from China. Dishes like these were usually given to family members, whishing them rich offspring.

 

Guan Yin is the fertility goddess who left the greatest impact in the mortal world with many temples built in her honour. The ancient Chinese believed that after one prayed to her and brought a pair of embroidered shoes home, one would conceive a son soon. In some Chinese families today, she is a revered figure. Guan Yin is usually depicted as a beautiful, dignified and benevolent goddess carrying a child or holding a vase with a willow branch in it. These symbolise her duties of 'bestowing sons' and 'showering of compassion on mortal world'.

 

The Legend of Guan Yin Bringing Sons

Long ago there was a Taoist priest who needed the hearts of hundred young boys to produce the elixir of life. So he kidnapped hundred boys and locked them up in a dark room first.

Coincidentally on this night, Guan Yin was passing by and heard the cries of the children, She saw the priest sharpening his knife beside a pill on the table. Guan Yin flicked the pill away. She drew the priest out of the dark room and saved the children. However, Guan Yin did not know where the children stayed or who their parents were. Then she remembered hearing of an official in his fourties who was corrupt and childless. She thought of teaching him a lesson so she left the hundred children at his doorstep.

Upon discovering the children, the couple kept two children and decided to sell the rest for ten taels of silver per child. By dawn the next day. all the children had been taken away by many men and women. A magistrate's runner reported a young lady was responsible for it and she lived in the abode of Guan Yin. The couple knew it was the act of Guan Yin and died out of fright.

In this way, the story of Guan Yin bringing sons spread among the people. Now childless couples would pray to Guan Yin for a healthy baby. (Chinese Auspicious Culture, Beijing Foreign Language Press)

 

Other than on dishes the design of the 'The Legend of Guan Yin Bringing Sons' is rarely found. On bowls decorated with the design only one other similarly shaped, sized and decorated example seems to be recorded in literature.

 

For a comparison between a similarly shaped, sized and decorated Japanese bowl and a Chinese bowl, please see:

For an identically decorated dish, please see:

For an similarly decorated dish with a banderol filled with Chinese characters, please see:

For a similarly decorated, Japanese bowl, please see:

Condition: Two firing flaws to the rim.

 

References:

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1971, cat. 61 & 62

Daendels 1981, cat. 5a & 5b

Kyushu 1990, cat. 470

Kyushu 2003, cat. 3111

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2012347
2012347

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2012347

 

Dish

 

Japan

 

c.1700

 

Height 29 mm (1.14 inch), diameter of rim 172 mm (6.77 inch), diameter of footring 106 mm (4.17 inch), weight 317 grams (11.18 ounce (oz.))

 

Dish on footring, straight rim with an underglaze dark brown edge. On the base four spur-marks in a Y-pattern. Decorated in underglaze blue with a coastal scene with a pagoda, trees and in the background fishing nets drying on poles encircled by an eight pointed scalloped medallion. The sides and rim in Chinese Kraak-style with eight large panels containing peach and auspicious symbols and six narrow panels filled with a scale pattern and dots. On the reverse six ogival or oval-shaped panels filled with lozenges and dots alternating with narrow undecorated panels. On the base the Chinese four-character mark; Da Ming nian zhi (made during the Great Ming dynasty) in a single concentric band. (Davison 1994, cat. 852)

 

In present-day Dutch collections, Japanese dishes and plates with Chinese kraak designs are still common and must have been an important part of the export shipments. Unfortunately, official VOC shipping lists only occasionally specify decorations in such detail that we can identify these kraak-style pieces. The kraak style was reserved largely for dishes, plates and saucers. Examples have normal borders divisions of wide and narrow panels while the centre shows the highly popular designs of a flower vase on a terrace, a river landscape with birds or flowering plants with a cricket. (Jörg 2003/1, p.23) 

 

The underglaze dark brown edge on this dish is rare on Japanese dishes decorated in blue-and-white of this period. It was probably copied after earlier Kakiemon dishes with similar underglaze dark brown edges. 

 

The crackled glaze is caused by the unequal contraction of the body and the glaze during cooling in the kiln after firing. (Jörg & Van Campen 1997, p.235)

 

Condition: Fine crazing to the glaze caused by the firing process.

 

References:

Davison 1994, cat. 852

Jörg & Van Campen 1997, p.235)

Jörg 2003/1, p.23 

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2011919
2011919

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2011919

 

Dish

 

Japan

 

1700-1720 

 

Height 27 mm (1.06 inch), diameter of rim 154 mm (6.06 inch), diameter of footring 82 mm (3.23 inch), weight 159 grams (5.61 ounce (oz.))

 

Small dish on footring with a flat rim. On the base a single spur-mark. Decorated in underglaze blue. On the centre and sides a landscape with mountains, a lake, trees and grasses. Round the rim three fruit bearing sprays. On the reverse three peach sprays, on the base a flower spray.

 

The mountainous landscape is portrayed in the Chinese style of 'the master of the rocks', where the parallel lines depicting the rocks suggest their shape and destiny. This decorating style was popular c.1660-1690 and was definitely not derived from the work of a single master. The original Chinese pastoral landscape in 'the master of the rocks' style appealed not only to the sensibilities of the Chinese literati who idealised rest and contemplation in nature, but also to the Western notion of China as an unspoiled paradisical land. (Jörg 2003/1, pp. 76-77, cat 48 & 49)

 

The decoration on this small Japanese dish has clearly been inspired by a Chinese orignal decorated in 'the master of the rocks' style. Although smaller the shape is similar to the Chinese original.

 

For original Chinese dishes decorated in 'the master of the rocks' style. please see:

Condition: Perfect.

 

Reference:

Jörg 2003/1, cat. 48 & 49

 

Price: Sold.

 

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201041
201041

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 201041

 

Écuelle with cover

 

Japan

 

1700-1720

 

Height 110 mm (4.88 inch), diameter (ex handles) bowl 143 mm (6.77 inch), diameter of footring 60 mm (2.28 inch)

 

Écuelle with cover on a footring with a low domed cover and a finial in the shape of three upright pointed leaves. The base is a glazed. Applied with two openwork flange handles in the shape of half chrysanthemums. Decorated in underglaze blue with a repeated scene of two ladies on a terrace with garden rocks, a banana, pine and bamboo tree. The cover is similarly decorated. This écuelle with cover used to have a matching stand, this stand is now missing.

 

This écuelle (with its original, now missing, stand) is based on a form that is common in contemporary European silver or pewter. An identical piece is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. (Howard & Ayers 1978, p.67) 

 

For a similarly shaped and decorated (Chinese) écuelle with cover and stand, please see:

Condition: A tiny firing tension hairline to one of the handles and two missing pieces to the fruit-shaped finial.

 

References:

Howard & Ayers 1978, vol. 1, cat. 22

Jenyns 1979, cat. 21a. (ii)

Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 303

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2012277
2012277

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Objects 2012277

 

Saucer

 

Japan

 

1700-1720

 

Height 22 mm (0.86 inch), diameter of rim 107 mm (4.21 inch), diameter of footring 43 mm or (1.69 inch), weights 70 gram (2.47 ounce (oz.))

 

Saucer on footring, straight rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with a riverscape with a pagoda on a rocky riverbank, mountains, trees, fisherman in boats and an island appearing in the background. The reverse is undecorated.

 

The design on this saucer woith the overall decoration was probably copied from a Chinese saucer dating from the Kangxi period.

 

Teacups and saucers were especially developed for export, as Chinese and Japanese teacups did not have saucers. They were probably inspired by earlier Turkish and Islamic examples. VOC- records show that the Japanese made teacups and matching saucers from the very beginning of the export trade.

 

Jörg mentions that there are very few examples in Dutch collections of Arita tea wares in underglaze blue, they are quite rare. One of the reasons probably is that Japanese potters couldn’t compete with the much cheaper Chinese tea wares.

 

One of the best known examples of Japanese Arita tea ware are the teacups and saucers decorated with  the coat of arms of the Dutch family Huydecoper. Another equally rare set of teacups and saucers, with a more stylized decoration of scrolling vine with birds, is in the collection at the Japanese replica of Huis Ten Bosch, near Nagasaki, dated 1670-90. More interesting for comparison however are some tea cups found during excavations in Amsterdam, dated 1660-80, with an identical decoration. The later date of c.1700 of our set is mainly based on the clear inspiration by later Chinese Kangxi flower scrolls. (Arita 2000, p. 57 cat. 87), (Jörg 2003/1,pp. 191-192 &  p.231, cat. 293)

 

For Arita teacups and saucers decorated in underglaze blue with identical decoration, please see:

For other Arita teacups and saucers decorated in underglaze blue, please see:

Condition: Perfect.

 

References:

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1971, cat. 190

Arita 2000, p.57, cat. 87, p.122, cat. 252 & 253 & pp.212-213, cat. 16a/b   

Jörg 2003/1, p.191 & cat. 293

Emden 2015, Fig. 4

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2011981
2011981

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2011981

 

Saucer

 

Japan

 

1700-1730

 

Height 25 mm (0.98 inch), diameter of rim 115 mm (4.53 inch), diameter of footring 60 mm (2.36 inch), weight 85 grams (3.00 ounce (oz.))

 

Saucer on footring, slightly everted rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with a river scene with two figures fishing, rocks, trees, plants and a bird in flight. The reverse is undecorated.

 

Condition: A glazed firing flaw to the inner footring.

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2012410
2012410

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2012410

 

Dish

 

Japan

 

1750-1760

 

Height 40 mm (1.57 inch), diameter of rim 238 mm (9.37 inch), diameter of footring 122 mm (4.80 inch), weight 547 grams (19.29 ounce (oz.))

 

Dish on footring, flat rim. On the base four spur-marks. Decorated in underglaze blue with various flowering plants, grasses and rocks on poles encircled by an eight pointed scalloped medallion. The sides are left blank, on the rim three wide spread flower sprays. The reverse is undecorated.

 

The design on this dish is clearly derives from a Chinese original dating from around 1750. Similarly decorated Chinese dishes were found amongst the cargo of the Dutch East India Company, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) vessel Geldermalsen, that struck a reef on Monday January 3, 1752 on her return journey to the Netherlands and sank in the South China Sea.

 

De Geldermalsen p74 cat 61 CJA Jorg

 

(Reproduced from; The Geldermalsen. History and Porcelain, (C.J.A. Jörg, Groningen 1986), p.74, fig. 61.)

 

Condition: A restored chip to the reverse rim.

 

Reference:

Jörg 1986/1, fig. 61

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2011918
2011918

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2011918

 

Dish

 

Japan

 

1750-1770

 

Height  mm (1.14 inch), diameter of rim 212 mm (8.19 inch), diameter of footring mm (4.37 inch), weight  grams (10.12 ounce (oz.))

 

Dish on footring with a flat rim and a foliated edge. Decorated in underglaze blue in late Chinese Kraak style with a motif of two ducks in a in pond. The sides and rim moulded with large panels filled with peach and auspicious symbols alternating with narrow panels filled with tied ribbons. The reverse is undecorated. On the bottom a stylized copy of a Chinese mark in a double circle. 

 

The first characteristic of moulded Japanese objects follows a tradition set by the Japanese makers of blue and white Kakiemon style porcelains in the 17th century. This tradition was for high quality moulding and other complex treatments of rims and borders, sometimes also with other moulding in low relief. The second characteristic is that it uses Late Ming (and sometimes earlier) styles, grids and motifs. These items of design were presumably taken from carefully treasured heirloom pieces imported into Japan about 1620 when the Japanese first made porcelain. Panelled Kraak designs may have been provided by the Dutch to be copied. 

 

The use of drawings in the coarse bold 'free' Chinese late Kraak style shown had already been extensively used for the West during the Great Export Period on many but not all of the copies of panelled Kraak style wares. It proved to be a long lasting favourite in Japan. New carefully moulded borders were added however, making a strong contrast. Some of the new borders in perhaps the second quarter of the 18th century had a celadon glaze. Dating of some of these pieces is however still controversial. Some in the second half of the 18th century had borders with low relief designs and patterns. (Finch 1998, pp.14-15, cat. 73 & 74) 

 

The mark is rather unusual. It is often erroneously described as the bee or insect mark. Properly orientated it is actually a somewhat stylised copy of a mark found on Chinese porcelain showing an ingot, yuan bao and crossed ruyi sceptres with a paint brush: a rebus which can be read in Chinese as Bi ding ruyi, “may things be settled as you wish”. Later variations of this mark become increasingly stylised and the elements in the motif less recognizable (I am indebted to Mr. R.E. Wright for this information)

 

For dishes with moulded borders in low relief please see:

For a dish with an identically central design (without the low relief border design), please see;

Condition: Perfect.

 

References:

Finch 1998, cat. 73 & 74

Kyushu 2003, cat. 3306 & 3307

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2012197
2012197

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2012197

 

Dish

 

Japan, Arita, Nangawara valley, Higuchi kiln.

 

1760-1770

 

Height 33 mm (1.30 inch), diameter of rim 220 mm (8.66 inch), diameter of footring 137 mm (5.39 inch), weight 479 grams (16.90 ounce (oz.))

 

Published: Four Centuries of Blue & White. The Frelinghuysen Collection of Chinese And Japanese Export Porcelain, (B. MacGuire, Ad Ilissum / Paul Holberton Publishing, Chicago, 2023), p.342, cat. 288.

 

Dish on footring, straight sides, short flat rim with an upturned scalloped underglaze brown edge. On the base four spur-marks. The glaze a greyish-white colour with many pin-pricks. Decorated with a moulded low relief of two elephants under the glaze, walking to the left in a landscape with rocks, their trunks on the ground, a monk herding them. Above the elephants a text of ten characters in four lines; on the left another text of ten characters in two lines, both groups in underglaze blue. On the rim a circling line of separate small underglaze blue dots and flowering branches moulded in low relief under the glaze. On the base a square shopmark within a circle in underglaze blue.

 

In general, in Asian cultures the high intelligence and good memory of Asian elephants is admired. As such, they symbolise wisdom and royal power. In Japanese mythology the elephant is a tusked, fanged mythical beast which appears in both Buddhist and Shinto iconography.

The Japanese had not seen elephants until the 16th century, so representations tend to be elaborated by the fancy of the artist. Presumably because of its watery associations the elephant serves to protect wooden structures against fire and to bring about the rain. Hence it is often seen as a tusked-and-fanged short-trunked finial of roof and ceiling beams (Michael Ashkenazi, Handbook of Japanese Mythology, Oxford University Press 2008, pp. 117-118) 

 

Around the middle of the 18th century Arita was depending on the Japanese market again for their sales. Although there was still private trade, the era of large orders for export to the West had passed by. About the same time moulded relief decoration on white porcelain or combined with underglaze blue came into fashion on the more expensive Arita porcelain. According to Fitski, the well-cared for style and brown rim reminds of pieces from the Kakiemon ovens. As a matter of fact, a template for a similar plate has been handed down in the Kakiemon family (Fitski 2002, p. 37/ note 64)

 

The story depicted is taken from the Neo-Confucian text known as the "Twenty-four Filial Exemplars" written by the Chinese scholar Guo Jujing (Japanese: Kaku Kyokei) during the Yuan dynasty (1260–1368). The book recounts the self-sacrificing behaviour of twenty-four sons and daughters who go to extreme lengths to honour their parents, stepparents, grandparents, and parents-in-law. The text was extremely influential in the mediaeval Far East and was used to teach Confucian moral values.

The scene on the plate shows the story of the Chinese (Ta) Shun (舜, Japanese Taishun (大舜) who was exemplar for modesty and selfless filial piety (xiao 孝). This story was set in his childhood. Shun's mother died when he was young, so his father remarried and had another son with Shun's stepmother. Shun remained filial to his father, respected his stepmother and loved his half-brother even though they tried to kill him. His filial piety moved the gods, so they protected him from harm and made the animals help him in his daily farming chores. At one time he was sent by his father to clear land in the wilderness on Mount Li, where he was aided in his task by herds of Elephants and flocks of birds. 

 

Tashunprint

 

Taishun (大舜), from: Mirror of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety (Nijûshi-kô dôji kagami, 二十四孝童子鑑)

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi (若狭屋与市), 1840.Size called ôban, 250 mm (9.84 inch) x 36 mm (14.17 inch); graded coloration (bokashi)

 

The poem on the dish translates something like this: 

 

"Herds of Elephants plough in the Spring, Flocks of birds pull the weeds; He is the heir of Yao and mounts its Throne; the spirit of filial piety moves the Heart of Heaven".

 

Shuns selfless acts of filial piety eventually brought him to the attention of the Emperor, who married his daughter to him and subsequently made him his heir. Shun, also known as Emperor Shun and Chonghua, became a legendary leader of ancient China, regarded by some sources as one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Oral tradition holds that he lived sometime between 2294 and 2184 BC.

 

The Chinese theme and poem fits very well with the popularity of the Literati movement in Japan. During the 18th century a movement with a craving for Chinese culture and philosophy arose, which had its origin in the middle of the 17th century, when after the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644 a lot of Chinese intellectuals and monks fled to Japan. This was the beginning of a renewed interest in Chinese culture, especially Confucian studies, poetry and painting. The influence of the Southern Chinese painting school of literates (the movement was called ‘Nanga painting’ in Japan) was also visible in the decoration of porcelain, such as this dish.

 

A similary decorated set of bowls and nine small dishes are in a private collection in England.

 

For an identically shaped and decorated dish, please see;

For similar dishes with moulded relief and calligraphy, please see:

Condition: Perfect.

 

References:

Kyushu 1991, cat. 783 & 784

Kyushu 2002, cat. 226 t/m 228

Fitski 2002, pp. 36-37, cat.37 & p.62 (note 64); p. 47

Ashkenazi 2008, pp. 117-118

MacGuire 2023, cat. 288

Wikipedia

 

Price: Sold.

 

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2012239
2012239

Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 18th Century - Other wares - Page 1

 

Object 2012239

 

Bottle

 

Japan

 

c.1780

 

Height 330 mm (12.99 inch), diameter 135 mm (5.31 inch), diameter of mouthrim 16 mm (0.63 inch), diameter of footring 70 mm (2.76 inch), weight 878 grams (30.97 ounce (oz.))

 

Pear-shaped bottle on footring, rounded body, tall narrow neck. Decorated in underglaze blue with around the foot a band of lappets. On the body a group of three flowering plants, bamboo, prunus and pine, alternating with three groups of irises. Round the neck a border of descending leafs.

 

The band of lappets round the foot can also be seen on polychrome bottles dating the same period in the late 18th century.

 

For a similarly shaped and dated bottles, please see;

Condition: Firing flaws to the base and foot, a frit to the rim and a chip to the inner footring.

 

References:

Kyushu 1995, cat. 266 & 237

Kyushu 2003, cat. 3780 & 3781

 

Price: Sold.

 

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