Page 153 - Chinese and japanese porcelain silk and lacquer Canepa

and Seventheenth-Century Europe, Oxford, 1985, An account dated 1596 by Hernando de Rojas, jewel-keeper to Isabella Clara Eugenia
Fig. 3.1.2.7 Kraak elephant-shaped kendi
from the shipwreck San Diego (1600)
Jingdezhen kilns, Jiangxi province
Ming dynasty, Wanli reign (1573–1620)
© Franck Goddio, Institut Européen
d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (IEASM)
Fig. 3.1.2.8 Blue-and-white vase
with six hollow tubes
Jingdezhen kilns, Jiangxi province
Ming dynasty, mid-sixteenth century
Height: 22.4cm
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
(museum no. 553-1878)
a Portuguese coat-of-arms and one other recovered from the San Diego shipwreck 124 AGS, Contaduría Mayor de Cuentas (hereafter cited
as CMC), 1st Época, Legajo 178. 1503–04. Chamber
(1600), as well as material from archaeological excavations, demonstrate that both the of Queen Isabel of Castile. Accounts of Sancho
Portuguese and Spanish imported elephant-shaped kendis into Europe as early as the de Paredes and Isabel de Cuelo, his wife, and
Violante de Albion, gentleman and ladies in waiting
late sixteenth century (Fig. 3.1.2.7). The fact that another entry lists ‘five porcelain (camareros) of the Queen. Sections VII to CCCXXXV.
159
The original text in Spanish reads: ‘Una porcelana
oil jugs, two gilded and coloured, the other three blue and white, the oil is poured grande blanca e azul otumana como una baçía, la
from the mammiform spout protruding, appraised at twelve reales each’, which qual enbió la señora Reyna de Portugal a la Reyna
160
nuestra Señora en servicio en una caxa de madera
most likely referred to porcelain globular kendis like those made at both Jingdezhen blanca’. Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, p. 85; and Vol. II, Appendix
2, Document 1, pp. 21–22. The French translations
and Zhangzhou recovered from the San Diego (1600) (Fig. 3.1.3.2), suggest that the of the text published by Baron M. Davillier; and by
elephant-shaped kendi may also have been used as an oil bottle. The inventory lists Dominique Carré, Jean-Paul Desroches and Franck
Goddio, omit the word Ottoman. See, J. C. Davillier,
a piece of porcelain of a very unusual shape, which is described as ‘A blue and white Les Origins de la Porcelaine en Europe, Paris and
London, 1882, p. 126; Dominique Carré, Jean-Paul
porcelain jug with a spout and six handles to pour [liquids], appraised at twenty Desroches and Franck Goddio, Le San Diego – Un
reales’. It may have referred to a type of blue-and-white vase with a bulbous body trésor sous la mer, Paris, 1994, pp. 308–309; Pinto de
161
Matos, 2011, pp. 128–129. Thus the citation given in
on a high foot with a cup-shaped mouth that is perforated inside, which is connected Canepa, 2014/1, p. 24, was incomplete.
125 Krahe mentions that despite the confrontation
to the base with six hollow curved tubes, dating to the mid-sixteenth century (Fig. between Spain and Turkey at the time, the Ottoman
3.1.2.8). Although a few vases of this shape are known, it has not yet been possible to sultans occasionally sent gifts to the Catholic Kings.
Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, pp. 85–86.
determine a specific function. It has been suggested that the shape may have derived 126 AGS, CMC, 1st Época, Legajo 81, Fol. 5. 1505. Krahe,
162
2014, Vol. I, p. 88; and Vol. II, Appendix 2, Document
from Indian or Iranian metalwork, and that it may have served as a water sprinkler, a 3, p. 23. The original text in Spanish reads: ‘Una
perfume vase or a wine cup warmer. copa de vidrio que se llama porcelana, con unas
163
hojas negras e azules de ello mismo, que no tiene
Philip II’s porcelain collection was the largest in Europe at the time. This is sobrecopa,…’. For further pieces that may have been
made of glass, see Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, pp. 88–89.
not surprising, as after Philip II was crowned King of Portugal in 1580, he was able 127 AGS, CMC, 1st Época, Leg. 190. Recamara of Queen
to acquire porcelain not only from the Philippines via the viceroyalty of New Spain Isabella the Catholic. 1505. Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, p.
89 and Vol. II, Appendix 2, Document 4, p. 24. The
and Seville, but also directly from Lisbon. It is well known that Philip II specially original text in Spanish reads: ‘Tres porcelanas que
son jarras, cada una con su pico, azules e doradas,
sought after porcelain in Lisbon for himself, and as gifts for his children and his fourth con sus tapadores. De quarto que habia’. For one of
wife Anna of Austria (1549–1580). In September of that same year, the secretary in a total of three examples in the Topkapi Saray, see
Krahl and Ayers, 1986, Vol. II, p. 819, no. 1646.
the service of the Duke of Alba in Portugal, Jerónimo de Arceo, wrote to Gabriel de 128 These included Don Hernando de Vllon, the Count
of Syruela, Doña Catalina de Castilla, Alvaro de
Zayas stating that he would send as much porcelain as possible, and that he had asked Lugo and Don Antonio Manrique. AGS, CMC, Leg.
the Duke of Alba to look for trifles for the Queen, Infantas Isabella Clara Eugenia 189. 1505–16. Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, p. 88; and Vol. II,
Appendix 2, Document 6, p. 25.
(1566–1633) and Catalina Michaela (1567–1597), and Prince Diego (1575–1582). 164 129 John Ayers, ‘The Early China Trade’, in Oliver Impey
and Malcolm MacGregor (eds.), The Origins of
Two years later, in 1582, the Count of Barajas purchased porcelain for the Infantas. 165 Museums: The Cabinet of Curiosities in Sixteenth-
152 Silk, Porcelain and Lacquer
p. 262; Sir Francis Watson, Chinese Porcelains in
European Mounts, New York, 1980, pp. 13 and 15, (hereafter Isabella Clara), the eldest daughter of Philip II, mentions the purchase of
fig. 3; and Canepa, 2014/1, pp. 24–25, figs. 8 and 9.
130 Archivo Histórico de Protocolos Notariales de several pieces of porcelain for her, and their price as well as that of the packaging and
Zaragoza (hereafter cited as AHPNZ), Jerónimo costs to carry them. In 1598, just four months before his death, ‘124 pieces of
166
Sora, 1537, folio 635, cuadernillo, (Zaragoza, 14-
XII-1537). Cited in María Isabel Álvaro Zamora, porcelain’ were brought from Lisbon for Philip II and his children, among other exotic
‘Una porcelana Ming con guarnición de plata
167
sobredorada de taller alemán en la iglesia de Santa objects. Philip II also received porcelain as gifts sent from New Spain. The 1602
María de los Corporales de Daroca (Zaragoza)’,
Artigrama, no. 21, 2006, p. 741; and Coll Conesa, inventory, for instance, lists ‘A tray that is said to be made from clay from China, with
2007, p. 128. a low foot worked and decorated inside with animals and other things from China in
131 Jordan Gschwend, 2010, pp. 3015–3044. Mentioned
in Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, p. 94. gold and colours, inside a herbal [?] box that was sent by accountant Iriguen from New
132 See section 1.2.1 of Chapter I, note 63. Spain, appraised at 50 reales’.
168
133 A transcription of the inventory is published in
Paz Cabello, ‘Los Inventarios de Objetos Incas Philip II, however, began to acquire porcelain much earlier. Written sources
Pertenecientes a Carlos V: Estudio de la Colección,
Traducción y Transcripción de los Documentos’, show that he purchased some porcelain prior to 1569. A post-mortem inventory and
Anales del Museo de América (Ministerio de
Cultura, Madrid) 2, 1994, p. 60. valuation taken that year of the estate of Prince Carlos (1545–1568), the mentally
I
134 n this document the porcelain is listed as: ‘Juanin unstable son Philip II had with his first wife and cousin Maria Manuela of Portugal
and François are in charge of two jars (barriles) made (1527–1545), lists ‘Sixty porcelains of different shapes and sizes, some of them very
of porcelain clay, adorned with silver with their
chains and silver lids in blue velvet cases with tassels
of the same silk, which were received in the fortress large, one with a golden rim around the foot weighing eight and a half castellanos,
of Simancas by María Escolastre along with those one is broken, and three are chipped’, which had been purchased by the King.
169
goods that were in her possession in the fortress, in
the presence of the scribe Juan Rodríguez on the 22 The inventory of the goods belonging to Philip II’s third wife, Isabel of Valois
February 1561’. AGS, CMC, 1st Época, Leg. 1145, Fol. (1545–1568), the eldest daughter of King Henry II of France (r. 1547–1559) and
278. 1561. The original text in Spanish reads: ‘Hacese
cargo a los dichos Juanin y François de dos barriles Catherine of Medici (1519–1589), taken that same year of 1569, mentions several
de barro de porcelana, guarnecidos de plata, con
sus cadenas y cobertores de plata en sus fundas de pieces of porcelain. The descriptions of some pieces are very similar to those found in
terciopelo azul, y sus tejillos y borlas de la misma Philip II’s inventory, thus the King had probably inherited them when Isabel died.
170
seda, que recibieron en la fortaleza de Simancas
de la dicha Maria Escolastre con los demas bienes The porcelain in Philip II’s royal household was not simply functional, but
que estaban a su cargo en la dicha Fortaleza, como
pareció por el entrego que de ello se les hizo el 22 also served to exhibit the King’s immense wealth and vast power. He was the first
de febrero de 1561 ante el dicho Juan Rodríguez, monarch to rule over a united Iberian Peninsula, the New World, and the Philippines
escribano’. Fernando Checa Cremades, Los
Inventarios de Carlos V y la Familia Imperial, Madrid, as well as the Portuguese holdings in India, Indonesia, China and Japan. Philip II,
2010, Vol. 1, p. 323; and Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, p. 94, note
351; and Vol. II, Appendix 2, Document 13, p. 34. continuing his mother’s practice of gift giving, supplied his relatives at other courts
Cited in Canepa, 2014/1, p. 24 and p. 252, note 58.
135 Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, pp. 95–96. in central Europe with porcelain and other desirable imported curiosities. The King
136 For the term brinquitos, a diminutive of the sent porcelain as well as other Asian objects to his brother-in-law, Archduke Ferdinand
Portuguese term brincos or brinquiños, in English
‘trinkets’, see note 174 of this Chapter. II of Tyrol (r. 1564–1595). The inventory of Ferdinand II’s possessions drawn up
137 AGS, Casa y Sitios Reales, Leg. 67–3, Fols. 198v–203v. in 1596 at Ambras Castle near Innsbruck, lists 241 pieces of porcelain, including
1539. The original text in Spanish reads: ‘… Otra arca
con su cerradura e llave, que tiene cinco porcelanas many bowls decorated with gold (probably Kinrande) and others in blue-and-white. 171
grandes e una tinaja de porcelana con su tapador
/ Otras dos tinajas porcelanas con sus tapadores / Porcelain occupied ‘two-thirds of the contents of the fourteen cupboard [sic], filling 8
Treinta y una piezas de porcelanas de todas suertes of its total 12 shelves’ in Ferdinand II’s Kunstkammer. Philip II’s sister, the Dowager
172
y last res son de barro … Una caja con cuatro
porcelanas / Otra caja con tres porcelanas / Una caja Empress Maria of Austria (1528–1603), who was the widow of her first cousin
de palo, redonda, con cinco porcelanas … tres cajas
de palo blanco, que tienen porcelanitas chiquitas Emperor Maximilian II, also sent porcelain gifts. In 1582, Maria appears to have
de la India, e cucharitas e brinquitos e las cucharitas acquired a number of curiosities in Lisbon for the kunstkammer of her son, Emperor
con rubies e guarnecidas de plata y oro’. Checa
Cremades, 2010, Vol. 2, p. 2208; and Krahe, 2014, Vol. Rudolf II (r. 1576 –1612), which was housed at Hradčany palace in Prague. Rudolf’s
I, p. 96; and Vol. II, Appendix 2, Document 8, p. 27.
138 Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, p. 66. Kunstkammer included 125 pieces of porcelain. 173 In 1590, while Maria was living
139 Archivo Ducal de Medina Sidonia, Leg. 942, in the Monastery of las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, she sent ‘a box with... coloured
(Sanlúcar
26
Barrameda,
unpaginated.
de
November 1558). The inventory is published in silks, sixty porcelains… and porcelain brincos’ 174 to her daughter Elisabeth, then the
Antonio Unrquízar Herrera, Colleccionismo y
nobleza. Siglos de distinction social en la Andalucía widow of King Charles IX of France (r. 1560–1574). 175 A year later, Maria sent a large
de Renacimiento, Madrid, 2007, pp. 175–207. For gift with Hans Khevenhüller, which included ‘porcelains some with silver mounts’, to
an English translation of the porcelain listed in the
inventory and the transcription of the original text in Elisabeth and her brother Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria (1558–1618). Hans
176
Spanish, see Krahe, 2014, Vol. I, p. 130, and note 525.
140 See section 1.1.2 of Chapter I, note 39. Khevenhüller, Count of Frankenburg, played an important role in the procurement of
141 AGI, Contaduría, Caja de Filipinas, 943–956. rarities to the Habsburg courts in central Europe, especially to those of both Emperor
Mentioned in Miyata Rodríguez, 2009, p. 42; and
Canepa, 2014/1, p. 25. Rudolf II and Archduke Ferdinand II. 177 Maria sent a Bohemian gentleman named
142 Cited in Schurz, 1959, p. 27; and Canepa, 2014/1,
p. 25. Juan Pexican to the imperial court in 1594 with another porcelain gift, listed as
Trade in Chinese Porcelain 153