17th C. Arita Plate - Flowers & Bridge

Underglaze blue Japanese porcelain plate, c. 1680.
 
Dimensions: Approximately 11” diameter
 
Decoration: 
The border is decorated with alternating stylized panels.
 
The center is decorated with an image of flowering plants and a bridge.
 
The reverse is undecorated.
 
In the second half of the seventeenth century, this type of porcelain was ordered by the Dutch from Deshima Island. Its design was copied from Chinese Wanli 'kraak' porcelain. With the collapse of the Ming Dynasty in China in 1644 Holland's source for Wanli blue and white “kraak porcelain” suddenly came to an end. As a result, the Dutch turned their attention to Japan. From about 1660 to 1700 a great variety of shapes and designs were exported to Batavia, current day Jakarta and the Dutch trading center in southeast Asia. The 'kraak' style is mainly characterized by a central floral or animal motif surrounded by a radiating segmented border.
 
Condition: Kiln spurs on the reverse; otherwise in excellent condition consistent with age and usage.