Sold Ceramics - Sold Kraak Porcelain wares 1570-1645 - Dishes - Page 1

Object 2011631

Dish

China

1600-1620

Height 36 mm (1.42 inch), diameter of rim 207 mm (8.15 inch), diameter of footring 128 mm (5.04 inch), weight 301 grams (10.62 ounce (oz.))

Dish on footring, spreading sides, lobed rim. Some kiln sand adhering to the footring. Decorated in underglaze blue with a bird perched on a rock near a flowering peony, above swirling clouds. The sides with a double row of chrysanthemum petals in light relief. On the reverse a chain of interlocking rings around the exterior of the footring. On the base a rectangular paper dealers label that reads: 'IAN & BRIGID, 322, RODGERS'.

According to Rinaldi this dish can be classified as a border I type b dish. Border I (c.1750-1625) dishes are small (c.200-220 mm / 7.87-8.66 inch), with a convex cavetto and an occasionally slightly flaring, foliated rim. The border has no underglaze blue decoration but the mouldings show a great variety of designs. Based on these designs it is possible to divide this long-lasting group into two categories (type a and b) and in chronological order. Type a dishes usually have very elaborate mouldings and in better quality pieces are clearly defined. Type b dishes have scalloped cavettos, with the scallops almost invariably arranged in double tiers. These pieces are usually coarser than the type a pieces with more complex mouldings. (Rinaldi 1989)

Jörg states that this type of impressed side decoration occurs on small to medium sized kraak dishes, but not on the lampetschotels (large dishes). (Jörg 2002/2)

According to Litzenburg similarly moulded kraak dishes are known that exhibit a central decoration with birds, vases, flowers, ruyi-heads, or ribboned emblems. Rinaldi notes that some of the landscape scenes appear to foreshadow the style of the 'Transitional period' (1620-1683).Two related examples in the Topkapi Sarray Museum were inlaid with jewels and gold, which attest to the value attributed to these simple export dishes. (Litzenburg 2003)

A smaller, but similarly shaped and well painted, dish was excavated from the wreck of the Dutch East India Company, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC) vessel the Witte Leeuw (1613). Its properly excavated and documented cargo included many pieces of kraak porcelain in a wealth of varieties. (Pijl-Ketel 1982)

For similarly shaped and decorated Border I type b dishes, please see:

Condition: Some shallow glaze rough spots and a short hairline to the rim, a frit to the inner footring.

References:

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1977, cat. 19

Lunsingh Scheurleer 1981, cat. 47

Pijl-Ketel 1982, p. 181, inv.no: 10121

Rinaldi 1989, pp.73-76, Pl. 49

Jörg 2002/2, cat. 27

Litzenburg 2003, cat. 2

Jörg 2011/1, cat. 3

Sargent 2012, cat. 32

Price: Sold.