Cup and Saucer
late 17th century or early 18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This cup and saucer is typical of the kind of Japanese porcelain that was made in connection with the growing European interest in tea drinking in the early 18th century. Japanese export cups of this early period did not have handles. The blue, red and gold colour scheme is typical of the so-called Imari style, which was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers.
Place
The Imari style is named after the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelain for export was sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants.
Time
From 1639 to the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced during this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards.
This cup and saucer is typical of the kind of Japanese porcelain that was made in connection with the growing European interest in tea drinking in the early 18th century. Japanese export cups of this early period did not have handles. The blue, red and gold colour scheme is typical of the so-called Imari style, which was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers.
Place
The Imari style is named after the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelain for export was sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants.
Time
From 1639 to the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced during this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain painted in underglaze blue, iron-red enamel and gilt |
| Brief description | Cup and saucer, porcelain painted in underglaze blue, iron-red enamel and gilt; Japan, Arita kilns (Imari type), Edo period, late 17th or early 18th century |
| Physical description | Cup and saucer of porcelain. Outside the cup and on the rim of the saucer are pairs of quails in petal-shaped compartments separated by sprays of flowers. In the middle of the saucer and on the bottom of the cup inside is a spray of peony, and on the lower side of the rim of the saucer are branches of prunus. The cup has no handle. |
| Dimensions | Dimensions checked: Measured; 23/04/1999 by dw |
| Styles | |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
CUPS FROM JAPAN AND CHINA The colourful cup is in the traditional Japanese shape, with no handle. By the 1680s British makers were producing cups with handles for drinking the new beverages, tea, coffee and chocolate. The white cup was made in China in response to European demand for cups with handles. It looks plain compared to the Japanese cup. However, the pure creamy quality of Chinese porcelain was very appealing to Europeans.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Marie Adeline Dumergue Bequest |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Mrs. Marie Adeline Dumergue, accessioned in 1912. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This cup and saucer is typical of the kind of Japanese porcelain that was made in connection with the growing European interest in tea drinking in the early 18th century. Japanese export cups of this early period did not have handles. The blue, red and gold colour scheme is typical of the so-called Imari style, which was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place The Imari style is named after the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelain for export was sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 to the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced during this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.112&A-1912 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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