Sold Ceramics - Sold Japanese Blue and White wares 17th Century - Other wares - Page 1

Object 2012582

Flask

Japan

Last quarter 17th century

Height 216 mm (8.50 inch), diameter belly 142 mm (5.59 inch), diameter of mouthrim 38 mm (1.50 inch), diameter of footring 86 mm (3.39 inch), weight 843 grams (29.74 ounce (oz.))

Globular flask on footring, short narrowing neck with spreading mouthrim. Decorated in underglaze blue with a flowering chrysanthemum plant growing from rockwork alternating with bamboo growing from rockwork, in between plants and grasses growing from rockwork. On the shoulder and neck bands with lappets.

On this flask we can see that the two styles - Chinese and Japanese - mingled, and although Chinese pictorial elements were always strong, the Japanese porcelain painters introduced a touch of their own. The underglaze blue painting on this flask is bold, 'free'', more individual than on Chinese pieces and unmistakenly Japanese and clearly recognisable as such. Identification is also helped by the uneven blue (which is sometimes very dark due to impurities in the cobalt), the grey-blue hue of the glaze, the greenish pooling of the glaze in recesses, and the relatively heavy weight. (Jörg 2003/1, p.24)

For similarly shaped, sized and decorated flasks, please see;

The Shibata Collection Part II, (The Kyushu Ceramic Museum, Kyushu, 1991), pp.204-205, cat. 527,528,529 & 530.

Condition: A restored mouthrim.

References:

Kyushu 1991, cat. 527, 528, 529 & 530

Jörg 2003/1, p.24

Price: Sold.