Water ewer with long spout

Anonymous artist

Anonymous artist - Water ewer with long spout
The bulbous body of this Arita ewer bears decoration consisting of a Chinese man and woman in a landscape with stylized trees. The opposite side is adorned with just a landscape with pine and peach trees and one more tree. The neck is decorated with two stylized prunus twigs. The spout and handle bear a karakusa grass motif and a rosette. The anonymous painter was undoubtedly inspired by Chinese models painted in the Transitional style, which distorted the decoration. On the other hand, the spout and handle decoration is based on older European (Delft) patterns that were used in similar Ming wares. (See Filip Suchomel – Marcela Suchomelová, Mistrovská díla japonského porcelánu, Praha 1997, p. 69.)
date:
measurements: height 21,8 cm
depth 6,7 cm
material: Porcelain
technique: Painted in underglaze cobalt blue
reddish oxidized porcelain body showing in the bottom part where the glaze meets the biscuit porcelain bottom
inscription:
inventory number: Vu 1957
gallery collection: Collection of Asian and African Art