Page 112 - Sotheby's London Fine Japanese Art Nov. 2019

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A PAIR OF IMARI DISHES series of designs to decorate ceramics. The their attempts on orders of the Dutch East
EDO PERIOD, 18 TH CENTURY first drawing was in 1734, received in Batavia India directors. A small number of pieces were
in 1735. This was the only known design to made in Japan including plates of the size in
the shallow dishes with wide rim, decorated be produced both in Japanese and Chinese this lot.
with the design known as “La Dame au ceramics and became known as “La Dame au 1 T. Volker, The Japanese Porcelain Trade of
Parasol”, the central roundel with two bijin, Parasol”. In sending the drawings to Japan, the Dutch East India Company after 1683,
one beneath a parasol beside birds and Volker records “we are pleased that your (Leiden, 1959), p. 78-81.
reeds, the rim with panels of birds and bijin Honours have had the drawings of porcelains
27 cm., 10½ in. diam. sent from this country presented to the For a similar example see Soame Jenyns,
(2) Japanese factors in order to test out whether Japanese Porcelain, (London, 1965), pl. 46A.
the same can be made in Japan conforming
Cornelius Pronk (1691–1759) was a Dutch with the drawings (...)”. However, it did not £ 5,000-8,000
1
draftsman and porcelain designer who prove possible to agree a reasonable price € 5,700-9,000 US$ 6,300-10,000
became a pupil of Jan van Houten and with the Japanese potters and no orders were
Arnold Boomen. He was commissioned by placed. In 1740, the merchants abandoned
the Dutch East India Company to make a

Cornelis van Noorde (1731–1795)
Portrait of the artist Cornelis Pronk,
Leiden University Library, PK-T-760 109

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A RARE MYTHOLOGICAL DISH A similar example in the collection of the British Further examples are in the Kyushu Ceramic
EDO PERIOD, LATE 17 TH CENTURY Museum is illustrated, Soame Jenyns, Japanese Museum and the Museum of Oriental
Porcelain, (London, 1965), plate no. 44B. Ceramics, Osaka.
the shallow dish with wide rim depicting a For an example in the collection of the
central roundel with three centaurs beneath Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, see £ 4,000-5,000
clouds, the wide rim with mythical creatures Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Inter-Influence of € 4,500-5,700 US$ 5,000-6,300
among scrolling foliage, decorated in iron- Ceramic Art in East and West, (Tokyo, 1984),
red and gilt on underglaze blue plate no. 156, p. 46.
26.5 cm.,10¼ in. diam.

110 Buyers are liable to pay both the hammer price (as estimated above) and the buyer’s premium together with any applicable taxes and Artist’s Resale Right (which will depend on the individual circumstances).
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