A rare Japanese export lacquer armorial dish with the coat-of-arms of Pieter de Vos
Edo period, circa 1699
Decorated on a black lacquer rioro ground, the rim decorated with landscapes, mountains, a pagoda, birds, phoenixes, and flowering trees and plants, the centre with the coat-of-arms of Pieter de Vos, in hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, gold and silver kirikane and uchikomi.
Diam. 29.6 cm
Pieter de Vos (before 1683 - after 1710) arrived in Batavia (Jakarta) in 1683 on board the Oostenburgh of the Amsterdam VOC Chamber. Until 1691, he was onderkoopman (lower ranking merchant) in Batavia and then promoted to koopman. In 1693, he was sent to Malacca as secunde (second merchant) and in 1694 promoted to opperhoofd (chief merchant) in Malacca. In 1696, he returned to Batavia as opperhoofd of the general payment department. In 1697-1698, he was opperhoofd in Japan on the Dutch trading-post at Deshima for the first time and in 1699-1700 for the second time. After that, he was secunde in Ternate and from 1701 till 1705, when the VOC office in Suratte was closed, he was director there. Back in Batavia, he became a member of the Indische Raad, the Council of regents the Dutch East Indies. On November 4th, 1710, he returned to the Netherlands as admiral of the return fleet.
De Vos was married in Batavia to Catharina Hurt, daughter of Anthony Hurt, Counsellor of India and Director-General. In Malacca, a son, Anthony Jacobus, was born on June 17, 1694, and a daughter, Jacomina Nicasina, on March 4, 1696.
There are several similar Japanese lacquer armorial dishes with the coat-of-arms of the Huydecoper and Valckenier families (Rijksmuseum, inv.no. NG 480 & inv.no. BK 1994-30), Van Outhoorn (Peabody Essex Museum, inv.no. AE 85682), two with the coat-of-arms of Hinlopen (sold at Christie’s, 17 June 1996, lot 1; and Sotheby’s, 27 June 1979, lot 17) and one with the Royal arms of Britain (Royal Collection Trust, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, access.no. RCIN 3281). The decorations on the rim of the present dish and the one with the coat-of-arms of Hinlopen, sold at Christie’s, are near identical.
Decorated on a black lacquer rioro ground, the rim decorated with landscapes, mountains, a pagoda, birds, phoenixes, and flowering trees and plants, the centre with the coat-of-arms of Pieter de Vos, in hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, gold and silver kirikane and uchikomi.
Diam. 29.6 cm
Pieter de Vos (before 1683 - after 1710) arrived in Batavia (Jakarta) in 1683 on board the Oostenburgh of the Amsterdam VOC Chamber. Until 1691, he was onderkoopman (lower ranking merchant) in Batavia and then promoted to koopman. In 1693, he was sent to Malacca as secunde (second merchant) and in 1694 promoted to opperhoofd (chief merchant) in Malacca. In 1696, he returned to Batavia as opperhoofd of the general payment department. In 1697-1698, he was opperhoofd in Japan on the Dutch trading-post at Deshima for the first time and in 1699-1700 for the second time. After that, he was secunde in Ternate and from 1701 till 1705, when the VOC office in Suratte was closed, he was director there. Back in Batavia, he became a member of the Indische Raad, the Council of regents the Dutch East Indies. On November 4th, 1710, he returned to the Netherlands as admiral of the return fleet.
De Vos was married in Batavia to Catharina Hurt, daughter of Anthony Hurt, Counsellor of India and Director-General. In Malacca, a son, Anthony Jacobus, was born on June 17, 1694, and a daughter, Jacomina Nicasina, on March 4, 1696.
There are several similar Japanese lacquer armorial dishes with the coat-of-arms of the Huydecoper and Valckenier families (Rijksmuseum, inv.no. NG 480 & inv.no. BK 1994-30), Van Outhoorn (Peabody Essex Museum, inv.no. AE 85682), two with the coat-of-arms of Hinlopen (sold at Christie’s, 17 June 1996, lot 1; and Sotheby’s, 27 June 1979, lot 17) and one with the Royal arms of Britain (Royal Collection Trust, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, access.no. RCIN 3281). The decorations on the rim of the present dish and the one with the coat-of-arms of Hinlopen, sold at Christie’s, are near identical.
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