Object description
This covered bowl is an example of early Japanese Imari ware. Imari is a seaport in western Japan on the island of Kyushu. Some of Japan’s finest porcelain was exported from here, hence why the porcelain gets its name from the port. The porcelain was made nearby in the town of Arita.
Made in the 17th century, the bowl is decorated with an underglaze of blue and a red and gold overglaze. The body is cylindrical with two round handles with scrolled ends. As is typical for bowls of this period, the handles appear small and disproportionate. The lid is domed with a finely modelled finial in the form of a Buddhist guardian “Lion Dog” or “Shishi”. The animal is surrounded by a flower.
The silver rim was added after the bowl arrived in Europe. This may have been to increase its quality or perhaps to disguise chips in the vessel. It is common to find silver rims, lids, spouts and handles added to early oriental porcelain by Europeans.
Imari ware bowl and cover/ceramic,Porcelain, Metal,silver/17th century AD/The Hunt Collection/PD
Imari ware bowl and cover/ceramic,Porcelain, Metal,silver/17th century AD/The Hunt Collection/PD
Japanese porcelain- background
The early 17th century saw the beginning of porcelain production in Japan. Its creation actually began with the arrival of Korean potters to Japan in the wake of invasions in Korea by Japanese feudal lords. Some of the Korean potters were brought to the Japanese island of Kyushu. This group would later become pioneers of porcelain production in Japan.
The majority of early Imari ware vessels feature designs similar to the bowl depicted here- a cobalt blue on white ground which was then covered in a transparent glaze. The pictorial designs were painted underneath the glaze. This technique sprung from an earlier Korean design on a type of stoneware called Karatsu.
China was also a source of inspiration. At the beginning of the 17th century, a type of underglaze blue porcelain was exported from southern China to Japan. It was favoured by the Japanese at the time due to the influence of tea ceremony, an elite artistic pursuit which began in the 16th century, originally for Japanese rulers.
Imari ware bowl and cover/ceramic,Porcelain, Metal,silver/17th century AD/The Hunt Collection/PD
A Dutch connection
How did Imari ware make its way to Europe? The answer is, with difficulty.
In the 17th century, Japan introduced a national policy of isolation from which China and the Netherlands were exempt to a certain extent. The Dutch East India trading company was responsible for introducing this Japanese porcelain to Europe. Interestingly, there was some Dutch influence in the production of Imari ware. The Dutch often produced designs in wood or earthenware that they thought would be appealing to the European market and sent them to Japan. The potters would then create their designs accordingly.
Therefore, this vessel is quite fascinating as it has been influenced by four different cultures- Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Dutch/European.
Sources
Willmann, Anna. “Edo-Period Japanese Porcelain.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpor/hd_jpor.htm (April 2011)
The Hunt Museum Essential Guide. Scala Publishers. 2002.
