P081 - MEISSEN KAKIEMON PLATE

 

Circa 1730, blue crossed swords and wheel engraved Japanese Palace inventory marks N=72=

Painted with a large running red tiger with spiraling gilt stripes, large whiskers and a long striped tail, the border and well at the right with branching stems of bamboo, one curved about the edge of the well and border with pale-turquoise, red and gilt flowers, the center with scattered turquoise foliage

9 1/16 in. (23 cm) diameter

 

LITERATURE

Cleo M. and G. Ryland Scott Jr., Antique Porcelain Digest, Newport, England, 1961, p. 189, plate 48, fig. 202.

 

PROVENANCE

Augustus II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, The Japanese Palace, Dresden.

 

EXHIBITION

On display as in the “George Ryland Scott Collection” in The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art from June 1955 until May 1960.

 

NOTES BY CLEO M. AND G. RYLAND SCOTT, JR in the late 1950’s

This plate was one of two purchased in Berne, Switzerland from Mr. Stahlein in 1950.  Both have the cross swords in over glaze blue enamel which was usual with most of the early pieces.  Honey, p. 64 says, “no wholly satisfactory explanation of this has ever been given.  It is suggested by Zimmerman that the enamel was used to avoid transportation to the place where the underglaze-blue painters were working.”  It is our opinion that the real reason for the overglaze enamel cross swords, is that the plates were made before I724-25 and were decorated about 1728. When the plates were made therefore the sword marks were not used and as the factory was ordered to so mark, all pieces from 1725 on, the only way to do this with such specimens was to add it over the glaze. These two plates, when examined under a light, show the very early type paste and glaze which tends to corroborate this view. Both also carry the "Johanneum mark" showing that they were in the Kings collection in the Dresden Museum and were a part of the collection housed in the famous "Japanese Palace."