Recent Acquisitions
On this page you'll find my latest acquisitions.
This way you can quickly browse through my recently acquired objects without having to browse through all the various categories.
After some time, each object in 'Recent Acquisitions' will be moved to their specific category.
Latest update: Recent Acquisitions; September 16, 2025.
Japanese Imari 1690-1800 - Tableware and other Porcelain with Western Shapes
Object 2012654
Bottle
Japan
1700-1720
Height 208 mm (8.19 inch), dimensions base 85 mm (3.35 inch) x 86 mm (3.39 inch), diameter of mouthrim 33 mm (1.30 inch), weight 1,002 grams (35.35 ounce (oz.))
Square bottle on unglazed base, flaring slightly to the shallow domed shoulder. The shoulder slopes up to smaller square with a short central narrowing neck which flares at the base and top. Restorations in gold lacquer on the mouthrim. Imari, decorated in underglaze blue, iron-red, green and black enamel and gold. On the sides scholars standing in a mountainous landscape reserved on an iron-red ground with floral scrolls. Round the foot and on the shoulder floral scrolls in gold on an underglaze blue ground. On the base of the neck floral scrolls and round its foot a pointed leaves pattern border in gold on an underglaze blue ground. Around the neck floral scrolls. On the base some old Chinese or Japanese characters painted in black.
The shape of this bottle derived from a Dutch glass ginn bottle and is also found in Chinese export porcelain of the early 17th century. Unlike earthenware, Japanese and Chinese porcelain was not porous, and such bottles had a number of uses in Europe such as for spirits and oils. The bottle could have been used in Japan as a toguri, a sake bottle. (Ayers, Impey & Mallet 1990, p.108 cat. 56, Howard 1994, p.204), (Jörg 2003/1, p.60)
For identically shaped and similarly decorated bottles, please see:
- Mistrovská dĩla Japonského porcelánu / Masterpieces of Japanese Porcelain, (F. Suchomel, Prague 1997), p.126, cat. 151 & p.134, cat. 172.
- Complete Catalogue of the Shibata Collection, (The Kyushu Ceramic Museum, Kyushu 2003), p.348, cat. 2702 & p.352, cat. 2754.
For a similarly shaped and decorated pair of bottles, please see:
Interestingly, this bottle has an old original Japanese gold lacquer restoration which could indicate it was used as such in Japan. Kintsugi (金継ぎ) (Japanese: golden joinery) or Kintsukuroi (金繕い) (Japanese: golden repair) is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. (source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi)
For some examples of objects with gold lacquer restorations, please see:
- Ko-Imari from the collection of Oliver Impey, (Barry Davies Oriental Art, London, 1997), pp.142-143, cat. 80.
- Complete Catalogue of the Shibata Collection, (The Kyushu Ceramic Museum, Kyushu 2003), p.407, cat. 3198.
- Fine & Curious, Japanese export porcelain in Dutch Collections, (C.J.A. Jörg, Hotei Publishing, Amsterdam, 2003), p.56, cat. 39.
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Chine de commande - Western Subjects 1680-1800 - Various Subjects - Various - Object 2011588.
Condition: Perfect.
References:
Ayers, Impey & Mallet 1990, cat. 56 & 222
Kyushu 2003, cat. 2702, 2754 & 3198
Jörg 2003/1, p.60 & cat. 39, 99 & 100
Price: Sold.
Japanese Blue and White wares 17th Century
Object 2012637
Covered bowl
Japan
1680-1700
Height with cover 332 mm (13.07 inch), height without cover 216 mm (8.50 inch), diameter of mouthrim 287 mm (11.30 inch), diameter of footring 141 mm (5.55 inch), weight with cover 3,450 grams (121,70 ounce (oz.)), weight cover 1,644 grams (57.99 ounce (oz.))
Covered bowl on footring, steep sides. Domed cover with flattened knob. On the base one spur-mark. Decorated in underglaze blue with two large phoenixes or pheasants one in flight the other perched on rocks alternating with flowering peonies. Round the base a border with spiky upturned lotus leaves. The cover is decorated en suite with karakusa and lappet bands.
Covered bowls of this type probably came without a matching dish and served as a tureen in the West. The origin of the shape is unclear, but it is likely that Chinese bowls with a cover (large 'sugar bowls') were the source of inspiration. In arita the type was obviously made for export an adapted to meet Dutch demands. Apparently, they were made in mor or less fixed sizes. The most common is the large bowl with a height of 30-35 cm. However, smaller sizes (of different design) are also known in underglaze blue, and it is suggested here that they may have been sets consisting of three or more blue bowls of matching design, which fitted into each other. (Jörg 2003/1, p.170)
For similarly shaped, sized and decorated covered bowls, please see:
- Japans porselein met blauwe decoraties uit de tweede helft van de zeventiende en de eerste helft van de achttiende eeuw, (D.F. Lunsingh Scheurleer, in, Mededelingenblad Nederlandse Vereniging van Vrienden van de Ceramiek, 64/65, 1971), p.104, cat. 162.
- Ko-Imari from the collection of Oliver Impey, (Barry Davies Oriental Art, London, 1997), pp.62-63, cat. 28.
- La maladie de porcelaine..., East Asian Porcelain from the Collection of August the Strong, (E. Ströber, Edition Leipzig, Berlin, 2001), pp.164-165, cat. 73.
- Fine & Curious: Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections, (C.J.A. Jörg, Hotei Publishing, Amsterdam 2003), p.171, cat. 204.
Condition:
Jar: a hairline to the rim.
Cover: restored after being broken in multiple pieces
References:
Lunsingh Scheurleer 1971, cat. 162
Price: Sold.
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