Bottle with monogram S on H

Object Details

• Description

  Apothecary bottle; Round body and tapering neck with flange below everted lip; low rounded foot; rough material adhering to edge of foot-rim in some parts; no apparent spur marks on base.

  Clay: white porcelain, medium texture.

  Glaze: feldspathic, clear with bluish tint; some pinholes; base glazed, edge of foot-rim unglazed; inside below neck seems to be unglazed.

  Decoration: underglaze cobalt blue of fine, brilliant quality, well-painted with a variety of depth of color. Vestiges of overglaze gold outlining and veining remain on some leaves, stems and buds. The base of the neck has an inverted petal design above double and single plain blue bands. The main band of decoration from shoulder to lower belly is enclosed by single lines. Naturalistic sprays of peony spring from behind rocks on a ground base with spiky plants. There are two birds, one flying and one perched. The opposite side has a large laurel wreath tied with a bow at bottom and tassels at top enclosing a European type monogram S on H. On the foot is a double blue line.

• Label

  Prototypes for bottles of this shape are found in Northern European stoneware and glass. Thousands of such bottles were made in Arita for the Dutch East India Company. Some bear monograms that can be associated with Governors-General of the East Indies and other prominent Dutch officials. The owner of the initials on this bottle has not been identified.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Cornucopia: Ceramics of Southern Japan (December 19, 2009 to January 9, 2011)

  Summer Whites: Japanese Porcelain (July 1, 1983 to March 15, 1984)

  Japanese Ceramics (June 22, 1982 to September 27, 1982)

  Japanese Ceramics (July 15, 1980 to June 21, 1982)

  A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)

  Japanese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to January 17, 1980)

  Harold P. Stern Memorial Exhibition (April 18, 1977 to September 13, 1977)

• Origin

  Arita, Saga prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Mrs. Marion Hammer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Place

  Japan, Saga prefecture, Arita

• Topic

  Cobalt pigment, Porcelain, Art, Peony, Arita ware, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Ceramics

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)