Object Description
Probably Berlin, circa 1770
A very unusual and rare pair of 18th century Batavia style brown japanned trumpet vases, probably Berlin Pottery. The vases are japanned in the fashionable Batavia brown glaze palette with hand painted famille rose flowers within leaf shaped white reserves. On each side a smaller scattered white leaf-shaped panels similarly decorated.
Height 41.5cm (16.25 in)
Diameter 22cm (8 3/4in)
Wucai, means five colour and was used to describe porcelain decorated with a five colour palette. The earliest example of Batavian style wucai decoration is a square Japanese Arita ware bowl, circa 1699. Export wares decorated in this manner were highly collected in the West during the first half of the 18th century. Objects included bowls, tea cups, tea pots, cups, plates, and vases. The wares are probably named after the city of Jakarta. The Dutch East India Company trading center in South East Asia was located there, Jakarta was also known as Batavia. This style of decoration was particularly popular with the Dutch.
As with delft pottery, which imitated Chinese blue and white porcelain, so these vases imitate Batavia ware and were made for a hungry market with limited supply.