Large Porcelain Dish, Japan circa 1670-1680

This large 55.5 cm porcelain dish is adorned with underglaze blue decorations, depicting chrysanthemums emerging from behind a fence and peonies growing from pierced rocks, all framed by a triple concentric band. The rim is highlighted by a broad border of karakusa (spiky lotus) patterns with interspersed flowers. The reverse of the dish is undecorated, displaying only the marks from the supports used during firing.

Porcelain production in Japan dates back to around 1600. In the second half of the 17th century, due to unrest and the destruction of kilns in China, porcelain production was hindered and trade routes were disrupted. To meet the growing domestic demand for porcelain, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) turned to Dejima, Japan. This artificial island in the Bay of Nagasaki has hosted a Dutch trading post as soon as 1641. The increase in Japanese porcelain production, driven by Dutch demand, led to a distinctive change in decorative styles. Japanese artisans began to adopt more localized designs and a freer approach in their application, moving away from traditional Japanese interpretations of Chinese kraak porcelain. This dish exemplifies such a transformation with its commanding central motif and continuous karakusa scroll, incorporating a mix of Chinese and Japanese influences into its design.
The bibliography below shows dishes with similar decorations, but a dish of this size in perfect condition remains rare :

- 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, vols. 64/65, 1971), p.63, cat. 34.
-Porcelain from the East Indiaman Göthenborg, (B. Wästfelt, B Gyllensvärd & J. Weibull, Wiken, Götheborg 1991), p.59.
-Mistrovská d?la Japonského porcelánu / Masterpieces of Japanese Porcelain, (F. Suchomel, Prague 1997), p.76, cat. 23.
-Fine & Curious, Japanese export porcelain in Dutch Collections, (C.J.A. Jörg, Hotei Publishing, Amsterdam, 2003), p.130, cat. 138.5.5 x 11 cm

Japan, Arita, circa 1670-1700
55,5 x 11 cm