Sold Ceramics - Sold Kraak Porcelain wares 1570-1645 - Closed Forms - Page 1
Object 2012473
Small bottle
China
1600-1620
Height 154 mm (6.06 inch), diameter 75 mm (2.95 inch), diameter of mouthrim 19 mm (0.75 inch), diameter of footring 46 mm (3.62 inch), weight 191 grams (6.74 ounce (oz.))
A thickly potted small bottle with a pear-shaped body, tall tapering neck, slightly flared mouth with rolled mouth rim and low, thick, V-shaped foot ring. The recessed base is slightly convex and glazed. The small bottle is decorated in deep shades of cobalt blue, darkening in some areas to a blackish blue, beneath a blue-tinged glaze. The lower body is moulded with five wide and narrow vertical panels. The wide panels are decorated with a bird in a marshy landscape alternating with plants growing from taihu (garden) rocks. The narrow panels are decorated with vertical lines framed by curvy lines. The five narrow panels on the neck are decorated with pending strings of beads ending in tassels and are enclosed between two stylized ruyi-head borders. (Welsh 2008, p.152)
This small bottle can be classified as a closed form, pear-shaped bottle. The name defines the shape of these bottles: a rounded body low on the footring with a neck of varying length, often ending with a garlic-shaped protuberance. These bottles are often referred to as Persian flasks. Unlike Kraak bowls and dishes, footrims on bottles are thick, low almost rolled. Bases are glazed. The Hatcher cargo produced a large amount of full-size bottles, which are truly representative of the term "pear-shaped". In these late pieces the border on the shoulder is wide and may have a meander pattern or thick lines. A series of dots covers the rest of the neck. When it is present, the garlic shape at the end of the neck is decorated with triangular motifs connected by straight lines. The large panels sport the unusual decorations but the flying horse, painted vertically and head down, is a favourite motif. All these bottles are heavily potted. (Rinaldi 1989, pp.166-191)
Such pear-shaped bottles were common in the cargoes of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ships returning to the Netherlands and frequently figure in the Company's records as pear-shaped bottles and "Persian" bottles are mentioned as separate items, but the difference between them is not yet clear. Several pieces of the same shape and with rather casual and simplified decoration were found in the Hatcher wreck, a Chinese Junk which sank c.1643. Thus this bottle is dated accordingly. Unlike dishes, saucers and bowls of Kraak porcelain, hollow forms such as bottles, ewers and jars do not have the characteristic thin body of Kraak porcelain and are more heavily potted. Nevertheless, all authors accept them as Kraak ware because of their decoration in - usually moulded - panels. (Jörg & Van Campen 1997, p.66)
Small moulded bottles are relatively rare in Dutch collections and seem unrecorded in literature so far.
Condition: A firing flaw to the inner footring, a fleabite, a frit and a hairline to the rim.
References:
Price: Sold.
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