Japanese Porcelain Edo Teapot

This teapot was manufactured in Japan at the end of the seventeenth century. The teapot is decorated with Poudre Bleu. On either side we find a recessed cartouche with chicken and eggs. This type of recessed decorations can be found on vases, bottles and teapots, but have only been made for a short period of time. This was probably due to the time-consuming and therefore expensive way of manufacturing. These modeled cartouches are only found on Japanese export porcelain. No Chinese imitations are known. The cock with five chicks is a metaphor for caring parenthood.

A Japanese porcelain bottle with the same type of recessed cartouche with hens and chicks is part of the collection of Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam.