Sold Ceramics
Sold Kraak Porcelain wares 1570-1645
Crowcups
Page 1
Dutch merchants arrived in Asia towards the end of the 16th century. The The Dutch East India Company, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC), was founded in 1602, competed fiercely with the Portuguese as traders. Porcelain from captured Portuguese vessels (caraccas) was called kraak porcelain, a Dutch corruption of the Portuguese word. It was made especially for export in Jingdezhen, the porcelain centre in Jiangxi Province. The VOC shipped it in huge quantities and soon it was a commonplace item in Dutch interiors.
Kraak porcelain was primarily bought for practical use, but pieces also had decorative functions. The paintings, done in underglaze blue only, show landscapes and animals, rarely human figures, making this porcelain suitable for Islamic markets, too. Buddhist and Daoist good luck symbols make up the panelled border decorations. Plates and dishes were moulded. They are thin, usually rather quickly finished and often have kiln grit adhering to the underside. The glaze on the edge is often retracted. Apart from large dishes, the bases of other objects are glazed, and the V-shaped footring is slightly undercut. Initially, the panels on kraak porcelain were raised, but this feature disappeared at the end of this period.
There are certain general characteristics which can help in the recognition of Kraak Bowls.
The rim is always foliated with the exception of one type (Shape II), all Kraak bowls have an everted rim which may at times also be upturned. (Shape IV). Footrings are thin, usually straight and high. Bases, with very few exceptions, are always glazed, often convex and with chatter marks. Unlike dishes and klapmutsen, Kraak bowls do not have the common denominator of border styles. Bowls have been categorized according to their often very distinctive shapes. There are six such shapes, each bearing one or more typical decorative motifs, which determine a subdivision.
Shape I (c.1570-1610) with everted rim
- Shape I.1 with deer motif (c.1575-1610)
- Shape I.2 with flying horse motif (c.1585-1610)
- Shape I.3 with crowcup features (c.1590-1610)
- Shape I.4 with flower sprays (c.1585-1600)
Shape II (c.1580-1645) with straight rim
- Shape II.1 with cakra motifs (c.1580-1645)
- Shape II.2 with flying horse motifs (c.1575-1600)
Shape III (c.1575-1605) with lobed sides
Shape IV (c.1595-1645) crowcups
- Shape IV.1 typical crowcups (c.1585-1645)
- Shape IV.2 crowcups without panels (c.1595-1620)
Shape V (c.1620-1635) bell cups
Shape VI (c.1590-1650) large size bowls
- Shape VI.1 early large bowls (c.1590-1630)
- Shape VI.2 Hatcher cargo bowls (c.1635-1645)
- Shape VI.3 bowls with Transitional features (c.1635-1650)
(source: Rinaldi 1989, pp.138-165)
Sold Ceramics - Sold Kraak Porcelain wares 1570-1645 - Crowcups - Page 1
Object 2011608
Bowl (crowcup)
China
1600-1625
Height 70 mm (2.76 inch), diameter of rim 142 mm (5.59 inch), diameter of footring 62 mm (2.44 inch), weight 146 grams (5.15 ounce (oz.))
Bowl or crowcup on footring, slightly outward moulded spreading wall with an everted upturned foliated rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with on the outside wide panels filled with; flowering jasmine tobacco (nicotiana alata), flowering chrysanthemum and a large butterfly, flowering peony and two with an insect in a marshy landscape alternating with narrow panels with knotted ribbons. On the inside in the centre a crow perched / standing on a rock with some grass-like foliage, on the sides wide panels filled with floral or fruit sprays alternating with narrow panels with beaded pendants.
According to Rinaldi this crowcup can be classified as a Shape IV.1 typical crowcup. The shape of these bowls is quite distinct from the traditional Chinese shape. They are tall and narrow, with almost straight walls, widening only slightly on the footrim. The height is almost always two-thirds of the diameter. These bowls are always moulded, the walls are always divided into large and narrow sections which follow the moulded decoration. (Rinaldi 1989, pp.153-156)
The main feature is the depiction in the centre of a bird resembling a crow or a magpie perched/standing on a rock. This basic design is often enhanced by a small circle above the bird representing the moon and at times, grass-like foliage. This ubiquitous crow motif gave this type of bowl its popular name of crowcup after the Dutch word 'kraaikop'. It is also mentioned that this type of cup was used for drinking 'kandeel', a drink made of eggs, milk, wine, sugar and cinnamon, served when a child was born. The word 'cameelscoppen' appears frequently on the Dutch East India Company's, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC), lists of porcelain. (Pijl-Ketel 1982, pp.121-124 & Jörg 1990, pp.53-64)
For a similarly decorated crowcup, please see:
Condition: A hairline and some very tiny fleabites to the rim.
References:
Price: Sold.
Sold Ceramics - Sold Kraak Porcelain wares 1570-1645 - Crowcups - Page 1
Object 2010650
Bowl (crowcup)
China
1594-1645
Height 74 mm (2.91 inch), diameter of rim 125 mm (4.92 inch), diameter of footring 50 mm (1.97 inch)
Bowl or crowcup on footring, slightly outward moulded spreading wall with an everted upturned foliated rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with on the outside wide panels filled with auspicious symbols, ribbons and a tassel alternating with narrow panels with a stylized lingzhi. On the inside in the centre a crow perched / standing on a rock with some grass-like foliage, on the sides wide panels filled with peach or with a less common thorny branches motif alternate with narrow panels with beaded pendants.
According to Rinaldi this crowcup can be classified as a Shape IV.1 typical crowcup. The shape of these bowls is quite distinct from the traditional Chinese shape. They are tall and narrow, with almost straight walls, widening only slightly on the footrim. The height is almost always two-thirds of the diameter. These bowls are always moulded, the walls are always divided into large and narrow sections which follow the moulded decoration. (Rinaldi 1989, pp.153-156)
The main feature is the depiction in the centre of a bird resembling a crow or a magpie perched/standing on a rock. This basic design is often enhanced by a small circle above the bird representing the moon and at times, grass-like foliage. This ubiquitous motif gave this type of bowl its popular name of crowcup after the Dutch word 'kraaikop'. It is also mentioned that this type of cup was used for drinking 'kandeel', a drink made of eggs, milk, wine, sugar and cinnamon, served when a child was born. The word 'cameelscoppen' appears frequently on the the Dutch East India Company's, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC), lists of porcelain. (Pijl-Ketel 1982, pp.121-124 & Jörg 1990, pp.53-64)
For a similarly decorated crowcup, please see:
Condition: A shallow glaze chip and some minor glaze frits and fleabites to the rim.
References:
Price: Sold.
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