Ten dishes c. 1800-60
Porcelain painted in underglaze blue | 5.8 x 20.5 x 20.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 2389
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Saucer dishes of Japanese porcelain, with rounded sides and tapering foot. Painted in violet-toned blue with a willow tree growing by rocks, and round the outside, three groups of six jewels tied with ribbons, with a typical Nabeshima dentate border on the foot.
In the late seventeenth century, the Nabeshima daimyō (feudal lords) of Saga established their own porcelain kilns in Ōkawachi, 8 km (5 miles) from the porcelain-producing town of Arita. These highly exclusive wares were intended as gifts to win favour with the shōgun and other nobility. Designs and techniques were kept a closely guarded secret. At their peak, the Nabeshima kilns produced some of the most elegant and harmonious porcelain of the period, which was unavailable on the general market.Because they were not designed for export, the porcelains reflect Japanese rather than European taste. Here, many of the characteristic features of Nabeshima ware are evident: soft shades of cobalt blue, natural motifs (in this case, a willow tree) and a tall foot. High feet complemented the raised lacquer bowls with which the dishes were used when dining. This bowl’s foot is decorated with the typical Nabeshima ‘comb teeth’ (kushide) pattern.
In light of Nabeshima wares’ quality and rarity, the arrival of these dishes in Britain in 1864 is exceptional.
Text adapted from Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen: Volume II and Japan: Courts and Culture (2020)
Provenance
Sent to Queen Victoria by Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi in 1864.
These dishes correspond to the 'twenty 7-sun diameter [about 21.2 cm] porcelain plates with blue and white landscape decoration' (sansui sometsuke shichisun zara) [山水染付七寸皿 弐拾枚] described in the Japanese Government's list of gifts. The presents were dispatched in 1864 in gratitude for the cordial reception given to the Takenouchi Delegation in Britain in 1862.
In 1865, Queen Victoria presented nine identical dishes from the set to the South Kensington (later V&A) Museum, where they were identified as ‘Modern Japanese’ (V&A 290-299-1865). -
Creator(s)
(porcelain manufacturer)(place of production)(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Porcelain painted in underglaze blue
Measurements
5.8 x 20.5 x 20.5 cm (whole object)
Other number(s)