Skip to main content
Bonhams
Search
Previous Lot
Next Lot
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 1
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 2
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 3
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 4
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 5
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 6
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 7
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 8
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 9
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 10
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 11
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 12
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 13
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 14
A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720 image 15
Lot 84

A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720

A Life in Ceramics: The Peter and Mary White Collection
1 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

£2,000 - £3,000

How to bidGet shipping quoteHow to buy

Ask about this lot

A rare Arita circular dish, Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1720

Painted in the well in underglaze-blue with terraced pavilions, bells and flowering peony branches, the rim with a the gold-edged border painted in polychrome enamels with the twelve creatures emblematic of the Chinese zodiac, the underside with Chinese auspicious symbols of moneybags in underglaze-blue, 21.8cm diam

Footnotes

Provenance
With Cohen & Pearce, London (paper label to underside)
With Robert McPherson Antiques, 2004

Literature
White, Mary, Beasts at the Whites' House, Vol.1, 2020, p.1

The border decoration depicting the twelve creatures of the Chinese zodiac of a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig is exceedingly rare in Japanese porcelain and likely a direct copy after a Chinese example. It is tempting to look at the relationship in shape between this piece and other round objects, such as early Chinese metalwork and carved jade that feature the zodiac in the same order on the rim.

Before 1912 the Chinese reckoning of the passage of time was not linear, but cyclical. The Chinese people did not number years consecutively, but considered a year in parts. Each animal in the Zodiac is linked to one of the five elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—which influence the personality traits of individuals born in that year. The cycle repeats every 12 years, and the elements change in a 60-year rotation. For example, 2024 was the Year of the Wood Dragon, while 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake. The custom of pairing animals dates back very early in Chinese history. The story of the Chinese Zodiac, originates from an ancient myth about a race organized by the Jade Emperor. To determine the order of the animals, the Emperor invited them to race across a river, with the first animal to cross being awarded the first position in the Zodiac. The clever Rat tricked the Ox and crossed the finish line first, followed by the other animals in a specific order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Additional information