A large arita treasure ship dish
Centrally decorated with a Dutch ship at sea, surrounded by Wanli-style decorated border, the wide rim decorated with alternating cartouches with ships and panels with Dutchmen, marked with imitation Chenghua mark.
Diam. 45.2 cm
Dutchmen and Dutch “treasure” ships are a common decoration on 19th century Arita porcelain, based on an old Japanese belief in raihõshin, foreigners/gods from an unknown land beyond the sea, arriving on treasure ships, bringing happiness and prosperity.
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A Japanese Arita blue-and-white porcelain bottle with the initials RW
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Arita, Edo period, first half 19th century Decorated in blue and iron-red under glaze with in the center the VOC monogram in gold. The bottom with imitation Chinese Ming Dynasty Chenghua marks, 'Great Ming Chenghua period mark'. Diam. 21.2 cm Dishes like the one present were very expensive souvenirs for wealthy Japanese domestic tourists who visited Nagasaki to get a glimpse of the Dutch on Deshima. The design of this particular dish is unknown, and it is possibly unique.
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Nagasaki or Kyoto, 1680-1720