Sold Ceramics - Sold Blue and White Kangxi Period 1662-1722 - Western Shapes - Page 1

Object 2012164

Ink-well

China

1690-1700

Height 53 mm (2.08 inch), diameter of rim 63 mm (2.48 inch), diameter of ink hole 17 mm (0.67 inch), diameter of quill holes 3 mm (0.12 inch), diameter of footring 55 mm (2.17 inch), weight 135 grams (4.76 ounce (oz.))

Cylindrical ink-well on low footring, a recessed flat top with one large and three small holes (the large hole meant for the ink and the three small holes to hold quill pens) decorated in underglaze blue with clouds alternating with auspicious symbols. Along the rim a zig-zag-lines pattern border. Around the central hole a ruyi head-pattern border. On the base an artemisia leaf in underglaze blue.

Porcelain pieces made to order may justly be called Chine de commande, as they were ordered specially by Western clients. Like this ink-well the pieces are easily recognizable because of either the Western shape or the Western decoration.

The Dutch East India Company, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) started to order Chinese porcelain in European shapes since the 1630's through their trading station on Taiwan. As in the Transitional period, Chinese potters of the eighteenth century imitated Western shapes when fulfilling orders from Europe. They used wooden, earthenware, porcelain, glass and metal models sent to China as moulds. It was also common practice to send drawings of the desired shapes, only a very few of these drawings have by chance been preserved. (Jörg 2011/2, p.145)

Besides dinner services, tea, coffee and chocolate sets other ulitarian or luxury items were also ordered after Western models. These included cylindrical beer mugs, barber's bowls, butter tubs, chamber-pots, cream dishes, cuspidors and many other objects, their shapes changing in accordance with fashions in Europe.

Often it is impossible to ascertain of which material the models sent to China were made, the more so as it was in general not known which was there first: the metal or the ceramic one. Writing material too, such as square, hexagonal or cylindrical ink-pots and pounce-pots, sometimes as a set on a small porcelain tray, were probably made from pewter models. A decoration with small flowers in blue or polychrome was generally used. (Lunsingh Scheurleer 1974, pp.89-91)

This Kangxi, Chine de commande, ink-well is a rare object, as writing material it came, most likely, with matching pounce pots or sanders used to shake sand over the just finished writing which had the same function as the blotting-paper.

A similar shaped and decorated ink-well can be found in the collection of Oriental ceramics in the Keramiekmuseum Princessehof Leeuwarden, Inv. nr. LY 0530. 

For similarly shaped ink-wells, please see:

• The collection of Duivenvoorde Castle - Object number: DV30060.
• Sold Ceramics - Sold Blue and White Kangxi Period 1662-1722 - Western Shapes - Page 1 - Object 2011422.

Condition: A circular firing flaw to the rim and two short firing tension hairlines to one of the small holes, all caused by the firing process.

References: 

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1974, cat. 147

Jörg 2011/2, p.145

The collection of Duivenvoorde Castle - Object number: DV30060

Price: Sold.