Square bottle
18th century
This square bottle is a fascinating amalgam of cultural customs, styles, and decoration: manufactured in Japanese porcelain in the shape of a Dutch gin bottle, then painted in Holland using a Japanese decorative style derived from Chinese Ming and Qing examples, which ironically, had probably taken their inspiration from European enamel painting on glass. The decoration depicts a phoenix and hibiscus alternating with a crane in flight above chrysanthemums.
Hard paste porcelain
10 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (26.1 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm)
Gift of Martha and Henry Isaacson
76.99
Photo: Paul Macapia