Every month, we highlight a remarkable piece from the Aronson Antiquairs collection. This month we present this magnificent large Imari dish, painted in a vibrant palette inspired by the luxurious porcelain imported from Japan. Produced in Delft around 1710, this dish embodies the period’s fascination with the exotic and the elegant synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions.

At the heart of the composition, a Zotje, a cheerful or foolish boy, approaches the graceful Lange Lijs, who stands poised with a tray amidst fluttering birds and insects. Around them, the painter has created a delightful garden setting: a table set with vases of flowers, a delicately rendered fence, and, beyond tasseled drapery, a pagoda rising against the sky. The scene is alive with movement, yet perfectly balanced within the circular frame of the dish, demonstrating the painter’s mastery of narrative and decoration alike.

The subject may ultimately have been inspired by depictions of Xi Wang Mu, the Queen Mother of the West, a divine figure in Chinese mythology associated with immortality and the celestial garden of paradise. Traditionally portrayed surrounded by attendants and flowering trees, Xi Wang Mu was celebrated as a guardian of longevity and harmony. It is possible that this Delft painter, working from East Asian models, translated such imagery into a playful and distinctly Dutch idiom, transforming a legendary goddess into an engaging scene of courtly grace.

Measuring 34.5 cm (13.6 in.) in diameter, this dish is notable for its impressive size, as this particular design is more commonly found on smaller examples. It once formed part of the Dr. Günther Grethe Collection in Hamburg, a provenance that underlines its quality and significance.

Comparable examples include a larger version, measuring 40 cm (15.75 in.), in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag (inv. no. 0400276), and a ribbed bowl with similar decoration, also marked APK, in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-NM-12400-301), with a smaller diameter of 26 cm (10.2 in.).

This dish stands as a superb example of early eighteenth-century Delftware at its most cosmopolitan, an object where Dutch artistry, Asian inspiration, and the spirit of storytelling meet in perfect harmony.

 

LARGE IMARI DISH
Delft, circa 1710

Marked APK for Pieter Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1701 to 1703, or his widow, Johanna van der Heul, who continued the business until 1722.

 

Link to this dish in our webshop