231.
A PAIR OF POLYCHROME SQUARE BOTTLES
the porcelain Japanese, Edo period, late 17th–early 18th century; the decoration Dutch, 1710-1720 circa
… cm high each
Provenance: Augustus the Strong (1670-1733); Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
inv. nn. …..
The two bottles belonged to Augustus the Strong (1670-1733), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, registered in the inventory of his huge collection of porcelain compiled in 1721 at the number “N:133”, also inscribed to the base of these two bottles, followed by the + sign which identify the Japanese Porcelain section.
Helen Espir (H. Espir, European Decoration on Oriental Porcelain 1700-1830, London 2005, pp. 64-65, fig. 19, 21) illustrates two pairs of Japanese square bottles – with a shape very similar to these in Naples – decorated in Holland and belonged to the collection of Augustus the Strong, respectively with the inventory number “N:101+” and “N: 64+”; another Japanese bottle of the same form, also with a Dutch decoration, is illustrated in the same book at p. 108, fig. 42.
Japanese ceramists in Arita produced from the late seventeenth century bottles with similar shape and size explicitly destined to the Dutch market. Most of them were decorated using only cobalt blue or polychrome enamels and gold. However, a number of undecorated pieces were also made, possibly already with the idea of being overdecorated in Holland.
