Condiment Bottle
1690-1720 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
These condiment containers were made at the Arita kilns in western Japan. The forms were probably based on designs provided by agents of the Dutch East India Company. They may have been sold in sets for oil, vinegar and soya sauce, sometimes accompanied by small trays. The decoration is in the so-called Imari style, Imari being the name of the port from which porcelains made at Arita were shipped to Chinese and Dutch traders in Nagasaki for export to China and the rest of the world. The small holes near the tops of the handles would have been used to tie stoppers to the bottles.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain painted in underglaze blue, overglaze enamels, and gold |
| Brief description | Pair of bottles for condiments, porcelain, painted in underglaze blue, overglaze enamels and gold, Arita, Japan, 1690-1720 |
| Physical description | Pair of bottles with loop handles and pinched spouts, painted with swirling floral motifs. |
| Styles | |
| Object history | Purchased from the Japanese Commissioners for the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876, accessioned in 1877. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Historical context | Some examples are painted with initials indicating the contents; 'O' for olie (oil), 'A' for azijn (vinegar), 'S' for Soya (soy sauce). |
| Association | |
| Summary | These condiment containers were made at the Arita kilns in western Japan. The forms were probably based on designs provided by agents of the Dutch East India Company. They may have been sold in sets for oil, vinegar and soya sauce, sometimes accompanied by small trays. The decoration is in the so-called Imari style, Imari being the name of the port from which porcelains made at Arita were shipped to Chinese and Dutch traders in Nagasaki for export to China and the rest of the world. The small holes near the tops of the handles would have been used to tie stoppers to the bottles. |
| Bibliographic reference | Augustus Wollaston Franks and M. Shioda, Japanese Pottery. [London]: Chapman & Hall Ltd., 1880. South Kensington Museum Art Handbooks; 18.
Catalogue number 178 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 336-1877 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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