Page 265 - Chinese and japanese porcelain silk and lacquer Canepa

however, suggest that only a small number of such pieces were made to order. It seems
Fig. 3.4.1.1.14 Blue-and-white armorial
saucer dish
Jingdezhen kilns, Jiangxi province
Ming dynasty, Wanli reign (1573–1620)
Diameter: 26.3cm
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon
(inv. no. 5489 Cer)
middleman for the Portuguese, and after 1557 from those that came to trade in Macao. Ayers, Vol. II, 1986, p. 638, cat. 950; Linda Rosenfeld
Shulsky, ‘The “Fountain” Ewers: An Explanation for
The illegible inscriptions or dates, as well as the multiple errors in the execution of the Motif’, Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern
Antiquities, Stockholm, vol. 67, 1995, p. 52, note 8,
the European motifs, reflect the indirect nature of such orders. Portuguese merchants figs. 14–18; and Krahl, 2009, p. 330, no. 153.
most probably supplied the junk traders with motifs and inscriptions they desired in 825 The grotesque style, consisting on the juxtaposition
of real objects and imaginary creatures, was
printed form to be copied onto the porcelain. We do not know whether the Portuguese inspired by the painted and relief interior decoration
of Emperor Nero’s Golden House, which had been
specified a preference of colour and/or decoration, or which European motifs or discovered in the late fifteenth century below
inscriptions were to be used (alone or in combination with others) in a particular ground level in Rome. See, Elizabeth Miller, ‘The
grotesque’, in Glyn Davies and Kirstin Kennedy
piece. The Jingdezhen painters, who were unfamiliar with such motifs and did not (eds.), Medieval and Renaissance Art. People and
Possessions, London, 2009, p. 184. The invention
understand the meaning of the Latin or Portuguese inscriptions, incorporated them of engraving and printing earlier in the century
on pieces of relatively coarse workmanship, which relate closely in form and overall enabled ornamental motifs to circulate on sheets of
paper throughout Europe.
decorative style to those made for the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The use of 826 These prints were engraved by Frans Huys (1517–
1562), and based on designs by the Flemish sculptor
inscriptions in foreign languages in porcelain decoration was not a novelty, as blue- Cornelis Floris (1514–1575), who after spending
and-white porcelain with Arabic and Persian inscriptions written within roundels or sometime in Rome invented a Flemish version of
the grotesque style in about 1541. The set was
square cartouches was made at the official kilns for use by Muslim eunuch officials at published in Antwerp in 1555 by Hans Liefrinck
(1518?–1573), who was an important operator in the
court, and probably for use by the Zhengde emperor himself, and is now believed to Antwerp print trade. For the complete set of prints,
have been also given as diplomatic gifts. 841 Portuguese merchants trading in Asia must see Antoinette Huysmans (et al.), Cornelis Floris.
1514–1575: beeldhouwer, architect, ontwerper,
have been familiar with this latter type of porcelain, and thus realised that porcelain Brussels, 1996, pp. 150–152, nos. 150–167.
827 Mentioned in Krahl, 2009, p. 330.
could be custom ordered with motifs related to their own culture. Such orders would 828 Published in Shulsky, 1995, p. 52, note 8 and p. 78,
have taken the trade in porcelain to a higher profitability, even with the risk and cost of fig. 18.
829 See, Krahl and Ayers, Vol. II, 1986, p. 632, cat. 927;
shipping it thousands of kilometres to Europe. They knew that their customers, both and Victoria and Albert Museum, acc. no. 513–1893.
Mentioned in Krahl, 2009, p. 330.
at home and in the colonies, would want to obtain porcelain with a blend of distinctive 830 This bottle vase from the Percival David Collection,
Chinese and European motifs that would be perceived as much rarer and had far bearing a hare mark, is now housed in the British
Museum. Published in Rosemary Scott and Rose
superior intrinsic qualities than the fragile majolica with coat of arms, devices and Kerr, Ceramic Evolution in the Middle Ming Period,
Singapore, 1994, p. 29 no. 48; and Pierson, 2001, p.
mottoes made in Renaissance Italy as early as the fifteenth century for the nobility and 74, no. 74. A closely related example from a private
clergy across Europe, which was used for display and gift-giving practices. The small collection with the same hare mark is published in
842
Pinto de Matos, 2011, p. 162–163, no. 64. Another
number of extant pieces and shards of others found in archaeological excavations, bottle vase but depicting a qilin instead of the
264 Silk, Porcelain and Lacquer
elephant with a metal mount on its neck (porbably
reduced) was sold at auction in Bonhams, Bond clear that their purchase price was higher than that of ordinary porcelain, but could it
Street, 13 May 2010, lot 213.
831 Published in Scott and Kerr, 1994, p. 29, no. 49. have been so exceedingly high that after adding the shipping costs to Portugal, there
Other examples can be found in the Musée national was no profit to be made? There is also the possibility that special orders of porcelain
des Arts asiatiques-Guimet in Paris, Hamburg
Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Zekiye- were not fulfilled to the expectations of the Portuguese and their customers. Future
Halit Cingillioglu Collection in Istanbul, Idemitsu
Museum of Arts in Tokyo and Matsuda Museum research might shed light on these questions.
in Japan. Material evidence indicates that orders of armorial blue-and-white porcelain
832 A number of variations of the ‘magic fountain’ motif
are known to exist. Scholars have long discussed increased considerably from the Wanli reign onwards. Some pieces continued
the origin of this motif and put forward various
interpretations and possible sources. See, Percival to be made in the rather thick and coarsely potted ordinary trade porcelain of the
David, ‘The Magic Fountain in Chinese Ceramic Art; preceding Zhengde and Jiajing reigns. Such an example is the saucer dish in the Museu
an Exercise in Illustrational Representation’, Bulletin
of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, No. 24, Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon, which bears a coat of arms attributed to Matias de
Stockholm, 1952; Pope, 1956, pp. 134–136, no. 282;
Krahl and Ayers, 1986, Vol. II, pp. 654 and 655; and Albuquerque, who was Captain of Malacca and Hormuz (1584–1588) and Viceroy
Shulsky, 1995, pp. 49–78. For a recent discussion on of India from 1591 to 1597 (Fig. 3.4.1.1.14). A shard of a dish bearing part of
843
this motif, together with a bottle and an ewer in a
private collection, see Pinto de Matos, 2011, pp. this coat of arms found on the island of Hormuz suggests that these armorial dishes
162–165, nos. 64–65.
844
833 Shulsky, 1995, pp. 53, 57, and 74, fig. 13. were ordered during the time Matias served as its captain. Their unusual decoration
834 Pinto de Matos, 2011, p. 164.
835 Pope, 1952, pp. 135–136; Shulsky, 1995, pp. 55–57; deserves particular attention. The Jingdezhen porcelain painters depicted the arms,
and Pinto de Matos, 2011, p. 164. barred helmet and mantling very large, filling the entire surface of the dish, and
836 Ströber, 2011, pp. 48 and 66. repeated the helmet and mantling on the reverse. This appears to be the first instance
837 Another ewer in a private collection in the United
States bears the mark ‘may infinite happiness
embrace all your affairs’. Published in Shulsky, 1995, in which all Chinese supporting motifs have been omitted, with the exception of the
p. 61, fig. 1. characters fu (happiness) painted on the recessed base. It is not clear whether this
838 Published in Kuwayama, 2009, p. 166, fig. 1.
839 Published in Krahl, 1986, Vol. II, pp. 654–655, nos. decorative scheme was an invention of the porcelain painters or whether it was copied
1013–1016 and 1632 (with polychrome details); and from a European source. 845
Pope, 1956, pl. 99, no. 29.423, respectively.
840 One other ewer bearing a Jiajing reign mark is in the The overwhelming majority of the armorials made for the Portuguese market,
Lee Kong Chian Art Museum, National University of
Singapore. however, were made in the new style of Jingdezhen export porcelain known as Kraak,
841 This group of fine quality, heavily potted porcelain
was mainly made in the form of items for the scholar- which was probably first made in large quantities at the end of the Longqing reign. At
official’s desk, bearing six-character Zhengde reign this point it is important to clarify that these special orders were only a very small part
marks. According to a merchant of eastern Turkey,
named Ali Akhbar, who travelled to China in 1505, of the Kraak porcelain production. Armorial Kraak porcelain, reflecting a change in
the majority of court officials were Muslim eunuchs.
He also asserted that the young emperor Zhengde both European consumer taste and production strategies at Jingdezhen, differs from
had converted to Islam, a fact that has not been that previously produced. The body is thinner, moulded with more precisely articulated
confirmed by any Ming official records. This group
of Zhengde porcelains reflects the influence of profiles, and has a more carefully controlled cobalt blue decoration. European coat
846
the Muslim eunuchs at court in Beijing. For a few
examples, see Harrison-Hall, 2001, pp. 192–199, nos. of arms, most probably adapted or copied from drawings or prints, were depicted on a
8:3–8:11. Emperor Zhengde, who appears to have new range of porcelain shapes, made in various sizes. The stylized Chinese supporting
been fascinated by foreign scripts, is said to have
given two porcelain bowls with Arabic inscriptions motifs of the early to mid-sixteenth century, gave way to a decoration rich in motifs
to the ambassador to the court of Selim I when
he visited China as an official gift to the Sultan of taken from nature repeated in panels, medallions and borders in combination
the Ottoman Empire. Mentioned in Ayse Erdočdu, with a variety of religious auspicious motifs with Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian
‘Chinese Porcelains’, Arts of Asia, no. 6 (Nov–Dec),
2001, p. 84. By the Jiajing reign, porcelain with connotations which are purely Chinese. It seems likely that the Jingdezhen potters
847
Arabian or Persian inscriptions was occasionally
being sold as trade goods. As mentioned earlier, developed techniques that facilitated the mass production of this new type of export
at least one such a dish was part of the cargo of porcelain in response to increasingly larger demands of porcelain for the European
the Portuguese shipwreck, the São João (1552).
Esterhuizen, 2007, p. 3. market, and perhaps also of other foreign markets. Moreover, its production on a large
842 An early sixteenth century bowl on high foot from
Montelupo painted at the centre with the arms scale provided new and easier possibilities to fulfill the special orders requested by their
of Pope Leo X surrounded by four roundels with European customers. To date, only two armorial pieces for other European markets
devices and mottoes, and on the exterior with six
shields enclosing the arms of Medici, Salviati, Orsini have been recorded, one bearing the impaled coat of arms of a Spanish nobleman and
and Strozzi, serves to illustrate the type of armorial
majolica commissioned at that time. For further his wife, the other of a German nobleman.
information on Italian majolica bearing European Space constraints prevent the study and illustration of all these armorials pieces,
coat of arms see, Alessandro Bettini, ‘Sul servizio
di Mattia Corvino e sulla majolica pesarese della so only a few examples will be discussed here in detail. The earliest armorial Kraak
848
seconda metà del XV secolo’, Faenza 83 (1997), pp.
169–175; and J.V.G. Mallet, ‘Tiled floors and court porcelain made for the Portuguese maket dates to the Wanli reign. It includes two
designers in Mantua and Northern Italy’, in Cesare finely potted plates, a saucer dish and an elephant-shaped kendi, which bear a coat of
Mozzarelli, Robert Oresko, and Leandro Ventura
(eds.), The Court of the Gonzaga in the Age of arms of the families Almeida or Melo (Fig. 3.4.1.1.15). The arms depicted on these
849
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