43 / 76
4 5 /1 9 6 9 D y b ta lle rk e n
A r ita , J a p a n o m k r in g 1700
P o r c e læ n d e k o r e r e t o v e r g la s u re n m e d e m a lje fa r
v e r s a m t j e r n r ø d t o g g u ld . H :9 ,5 , D ia m : 26
I d e t 17. å r h u n d re d e s a n d e n h a lv d e l v a r K in a r a m t
a f in d r e u r o lig h e d e r i fo rb in d e ls e m e d M in g - d y -
n a s tie ts u n d e r g a n g . D e t b e tø d e n o p b lo m s tr in g
fo r d e n u n g e ja p a n s k e p o rc e læ n s in d u s tr i, h v is
p r o d u k t e r n u e k s p o rte r e d e s til E u r o p a . M e s t y n
d e t v a r m å s k e K a k ie m o n p o rc e læ n e t m e d sin k a
r a k te r is tis k e b lå, b lå g rø n n e , r ø d e fa rv e sk a la o p
k a ld t e fte r e n k e ra m ik e r s læ g t p å A rita - e g n e n .
P å ta lle rk e n e n s sp e jl illu s tre re s f o r tæ llin g e n o m ,
h v o r d a n d e n k in e s is k e s ta ts m a n d S s u -m a K u a n g
s o m d r e n g r e d d e r e t b a rn , d e r v a r fa ld e t n e d i et
fisk e b a s sin , fra d r u k n e d ø d e n v e d a t k n u s e d e tte
m e d e n ste n .
A t m o tiv e t v irk e lig v a r p o p u læ r t ses a f d e e u r o
p æ is k e e f te r lig n in g e r i m u s e e ts eje: a) k in e s is k
p o rc e læ n d e k o r e r e t i H o lla n d , 18. å r h u n d re d e s b e
g y n d e ls e b) M e is s e n o m k r in g 173 0 o g c) C h e ls e a
1 7 5 3 -5 8 , h v o r d e t lid t m is v is e n d e o v e rs a tte s til
» H o b in th e W ell«.
45/1969 Soup plate
Arita, Japan ca. 1700
Porcelain with overglaze decoration in enamel colours,
iron red and gold. H.9.5, Diam:26.
In the second half of the 17th century China was hit by
domestic troubles in connexion with the decline of the
Ming dynasty. As a result, the young Japanese porce
lain industry prospered and its products were now
exported to Europe. Most popular, perhaps, was
Kakiemon porcelain, characterized by a blue/blue-
green/red colour scale named ajter afamily ofpotters in
the Arita region.
The scene illustrated is the tale of how the Chinese
statesman Ssu-ma Kuang as a boy saved a child that had
fallen into a fish-bowl from drowning by breaking the
bowl with a stone.
The popularity of the motif can be judged from the
imitations in the Museum’s possession: a) Chinese
porcelain decorated in Holland, beginning of the 18th
century, b) Meissen, ca. 1730, and c) Chelsea 1753-
58, where it was translated, rather misleadingly, as
“Hob in the Well”.
40