Japanese Arita Export, European form, 17th century
 
The oviform ewer of German stoneware (beer jug/bier-krug/Bellarmine) form decorated in underglaze blue in the Chinese Transitional style, with waisted neck decorated with upright Dutch tulips, the applied C-shaped pierced loop handle decorated with diagonal geometrical patterns. The impressively-sized bulbous body superbly and energetically painted with groups of Scholars in the Wildness, watching the falling leaves and surrounded by pine trees, maples and rockwork.
 
The pierced handle was made to be fitted with a silver-mount after imporation in Europe - for an example, see a similarly shaped vessel with contempory Dutch silver mounts in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2002.447.44.
 
A similar example, slightly smaller and without mounts, in The British Museum and dated to 1655-60.
 
Measurements:
9 3/4" high (24.8cm)
Literature:
A similar example, with contemporary silver mounts, illustrated in Brennan Ford, Barbara & Impey, Oliver 'Japanese Art from the Gerry Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art', no.37.