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

Object 2010945

Dish

Japan, Arita presumably Sarugawa

1660-1680

Height 50 mm (1.97 inch), diameter of rim 274 mm (10.79 inch), diameter of footring 144 mm (5.67 inch)

Dish on footring, flattened rim and a glazed base. On the base five spur-marks in a X-pattern. Decorated in underglaze blue in a Chinese kraak style. The central design shows a river scene with a farmer leading two cows over a bridge surrounded by a scroll-border characteristic of Chinese Transitional ware. The border design shows wide and narrow panels filled with single figures, 'tulip' motifs and stylised flowers. The reverse is divided into panels and sketchily painted.

The was design influenced by the decoration on Chinese T'ien-ch'i porcelain, which was exported to Japan. In 'Imari-Porzellan am Hofe der Kaiserin Maria Theresia' it is stated that the figure on the dish is most likely to be Tai Gongwang (Jiang Ziya), a politician at the beginning of the Zhou-period (11th cent. - 221 BCE). He was spotted when fishing in the river Weisui by the ruler Wen Wang, Tai Gongwang later became his teacher, he also served Wen Wang’s son Wu Wang the first emperor of the Zhou dynasty (r.1122-1115 BC). According to this legend a decoration of a man fishing is most likely to be Tai Gongwang. On this dish the Japanese artist used a theme that Chinese export wares in the early 17th century used. (Düsseldorf 2000, p.45) Jörg states that this is the best known type of Japanese porcelain imitating a specific Chinese group of dishes with a kraak body and a panelled border, but a Transitional decoration dating to 1635-1645. Japanese dishes of this design are not rare and were made in different sizes. A large example measuring 520 mm (20.47 inch), is in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul. (Jörg 2003/1, pp.28-29)

For identically decorated dishes, please see;

Condition: A chip to the reverse rim.

References:

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1971, cat. 26

Arts 1983, p.41, Plate 12

Harrisson 1985, cat. 88

Suchomel 1997, cat. 21

Düsseldorf 2000, cat. 6

Jörg 2003/1, cat. 9

Jörg 2011/1, cat. 47

Price: Sold.