Tankard thumbnail 1
Tankard thumbnail 2
+5
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Japan, Room 45, The Toshiba Gallery

Tankard

1680-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This tankard was made at Arita, where porcelain was made for export to Europe starting in about 1650. The decoration of figures in a fantastic landscape was probably drawn by a Japanese following a Dutch design after a Chinese original. Tankards of this kind were usually mounted in pewter or silver, and a pre-formed hole in the handle served for the attachment of a lid and thumb-rest. On this piece the German silver-gilt lid is inset with a coin commemorating John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and his seven sons. The coin was struck in 1616 and the lid has a punched date of 1664. The lid was probably not fitted to the pot, however, until the 19th century.

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Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain decorated in underglaze blue; silver-gilt lid incorporating a silver coin
Brief description
Tankard, porcelain decorated in underglaze blue, with German silver-gilt mounts dated 1664 incorporating a coin dated 1616; Arita kilns, Japan, 1680-1700
Physical description
Tankard with pear-shaped body decorated in underglaze blue; three reserved panels divided by floral scrolls painted with landscapes, figures and birds; mounted with silver-gilt lid incorporating a German coin dated 1616
Dimensions
  • Height: 24.9cm
  • Diameter: 15.9cm
Dimensions from registers
Styles
Gallery label
  • Tankard in European shape 1680–1700 Arita kilns Porcelain painted in underglaze blue; German silver mounts Sir Percival David Gift Museum no. C.416-1918 (04/11/2015)
  • TANKARD WITH GERMAN SILVER-GILT MOUNTS Porcelain with decoration in underglaze blue Lid incorporating a German coin dated 1616 Arita kilns About 1650-1675 DAVID GIFT(1986)
  • Tankard with German silver-gilt mounts Arita kilns Porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue 1680-1700 V&A C.416-1918 David Gift (January 2015)
Credit line
Given by Sir Percival V. David, Esq.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This tankard was made at Arita, where porcelain was made for export to Europe starting in about 1650. The decoration of figures in a fantastic landscape was probably drawn by a Japanese following a Dutch design after a Chinese original. Tankards of this kind were usually mounted in pewter or silver, and a pre-formed hole in the handle served for the attachment of a lid and thumb-rest. On this piece the German silver-gilt lid is inset with a coin commemorating John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and his seven sons. The coin was struck in 1616 and the lid has a punched date of 1664. The lid was probably not fitted to the pot, however, until the 19th century.
Collection
Accession number
C.416-1918

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Record createdNovember 21, 2002
Record URL
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