Famille Verte - exhibitions international

15 - Jar
China, c. 1645–60
H. 20.8 cm, D. rim 8.8 cm, D. footring 12.5 cm
Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden, inv. no. GVR
1929-163
Gift of R. D. Verbeek, 1929.
Ovoid jar on a footring, with a short neck
and a wide mouth. The base is unglazed,
with kiln sand adhering to the footring.
The horizontal luting line is visible on the
outside. Decorated in underglaze blue,
red and green enamels. The horizontal
sections are separated by circles in
underglaze blue. On the body a pattern
of scales with four reserved medallions
featuring different flowering plants, with
facing cloud motifs between. Around the
foot a scroll border. On the shoulder a
band with triangular striped scales and a
broader band with flower-and-leaf scrolls
on a ground with the ‘crackled-ice’ or
‘stone-wall’ pattern. Around the mouth a
‘flame’ border.
As most of Verbeek’s pieces, this jar was
collected in Indonesia, the former Dutch
Indies. The shape and measurements are
28
similar to those of the underglaze-blue
jars with a Kraak body and a Transitional
design, while the dense decoration
and saturated green enamel is in the
Shunzhi style. Made for the inter-Asian
market, it is less refined than porcelains
for domestic Chinese clients. A jar with
a related decoration is in the Butler
Family Collection, UK. For Verbeek as a
collector, see Campen 2003.
Refs.: Pinto de Matos, 1996, cat. 73;
Butler, Curtis & Little 2002, cat. 11