Nette Megens
Head of Department, Director
Lot 34
An Arita mug, circa 1680-1700
1 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£700 - £900
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An Arita mug, circa 1680-1700
The pear-shape form after a Dutch original, painted in underglaze-blue with a scholar and rocks in a landscape with birds in flight and leaves, the scroll handle painted with dashes, pierced hole in top of handle for pewter cover, 15.2cm high
Footnotes
Literature
White, Mary, Beasts at the Whites' House, Vol.2, 2021, p.67, fig.a
For another example see C.J.A Jörg, Fine and Curious, Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections, 2003, p.168, no.197.
This modest tankard reflects a remarkable 17th century journey from China to Holland, to Japan, and back to Europe. Its form and decoration are inspired by delftware, which itself drew on Chinese transitional ceramics brought to Holland by ship merchants. The Japanese porcelain version imitates the delftware style, including its chinoiserie decoration. While the Japanese artist could have painted with greater detail—adding facial expressions or intricate landscapes—they chose to faithfully reproduce the original, inadvertently capturing the charm of cross-cultural exchange. The result is a fascinating example of East meets West in ceramic art.