Underglaze blue Japanese export porcelain charger, c. 1700.
 
Dimensions: Approximately 14 ½” diameter.
 
Decoration:
The charger has a molded scalloped rim.
 
The border is decorated in a deep shade of cobalt blue with a pattern of fish and stylized waves.
 
The central scene depicts a Buddhist lion (Shishi) amid flowering peonies, bamboo and pierced rockwork, and is executed primarily in a lighter shade of blue, providing a marked contrast with the border.
 
The reverse is decorated with a pattern of loosely executed foliate sprays.
The base bears six kiln spurs.
 
With the disruption of the Jingdezhen kilns in the middle of the 17the century, the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC) turned to Japan to provide porcelain for the Dutch market. This was primarily blue and white wares produced at the Arita kilns like this charger.
 
By the 1680s, the Jingdezhen kilns were back in operation, producing porcelain for export in larger quantities and at lower cost than the Japanese kilns. Consequently, imports from Japan rapidly declined. However, private trade continued into the 18th century.
 
References:
Barry Davis Oriental Art, “Ko-Imari Porcelain from the Collection of Oliver Impey”.
Impey, “Japanese Export Porcelain”.
Jorg, “Fine & Curious, Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections”.
MacGuire, “Four Centuries of Blue & White”.
P.L.J. Arts, “Japanese Porcelain”.
Reichel, “Early Japanese Porcelain”.
Shimura, “The History of Imari, The Symbols and Mysteries of Antique Japanese Porcelain”.
New Orleans Museum of Art, “Imari, Japanese Porcelain for European Palaces”.
The Kyushu Ceramic Museum, “Complete Catalog of Shibata Collection”.
The Saga Museum, “The John Coates’ Collection, A Collection of Early Arita Porcelain”, Third edition.
 
Condition: Minor glaze imperfection from manufacture on the face; otherwise in excellent condition consistent with age and usage. Please examine the photos; they are part of the description.