A pair of small Arita mustard pots and covers, Edo Period (1615-1868) circa 1690
Each globular form moulded with petals, painted in polychrome enamels with panels of flowers in the Kakiemon palette, highlighted in gilding, above a domed foot, loop handle with spur, the flat circular narrow neck with iron-red and gilt stylised flowers and scroll, pierced cover, 9.8cm high (4)
Footnotes
A smaller mustard pot of the same decoration is in the collection of the Groninger Museum and published by C.J.A. Jörg, Fine and Curious, Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections, 2003, p.190, no.238.
Christiaan Jörg, 2003, p.162, points out that mustard pots were amongst the first objects made for export and aready feature in the VOC's shipping lists of 1659. They are also mentioned under 'new kinds' of porcelain ordered by Zacharias Wagenaer (1614-1668, 'Opperhoofd' at the Deshima porcelain kilns). As Jörg, 2003, p.157 points out, Wagenaer was having difficulties filling the orders sent from Batavia for porcelain because he did not know what to buy due to a lack of written instructions from his superiors.
On his own initiative, he ordered porcelain 'after my own invention, to be made curiously, on a blue ground with silver tendrilwork'. To his annoyance, he found out soon afterwards that similar pieces were on offer in the Nagasaki porcelain shops, proving the interest in Japan for such exotic objects. The shipping list of that year mentions 108 pieces of 'new kinds' sent as samples to The Netherlands, i.e. ewers, salts and ink pots - all objects of European shape.
