Important export gourd-type vase. Arita (Hizen), Japan, Edo period

Important export vase of gourd type. Arita (Hizen), Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Porcelain with blue underglaze decoration and Ko-Imari type enamels.
In very good condition according to its age.
Measurements: 63 × 30 × 30 cm.

Exceptional large format vase and pumpkin type profile, made in Arita porcelain and destined for the European market, commissioned by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Because of its scale, iconographic complexity and quality of execution, it is a representative piece within the Japanese export production of the 18th century.

The form, with a globular lower body and elongated neck, corresponds to models of apparatus destined for prestigious interiors. The main register presents a wide scene with European characters identifiable as Dutch merchants or dignitaries, dressed in wide-brimmed hats and jackets typical of the 18th century, accompanied by a dog. The scene is set against an intense iron red background, a characteristic resource of the Ko-Imari export repertoire, which enhances the chromatic vivacity of the figures.

The rest of the vase is articulated by means of a complex ornamental organization: floral medallions on the upper body, scrolls and cartouches framing the neck, and fine plant motifs in blue under the cover combined with overglaze enamels. The decoration evidences a perfect integration between Japanese ornamental language and Western themes, a distinctive feature of the porcelains made for the VOC through the Dejima enclave in Nagasaki.

This type of iconography makes the piece not only a decorative object, but also a historical testimony of the artistic and commercial exchange between East and West.

The monumentality of the piece underlines its exceptional character. The production of forms of this size required extraordinary technical control during firing, which makes large narrative export vases comparatively rare and highly prized on the international market.