AN ARITA DISH EDO PERIOD, LATE 17TH CENTURY |

the circular dish with wide rim decorated in underglaze blue with a central roundel depicting the initials of the Dutch East India Company VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie), surrounded by birds among foliage, bordered by six panels of flowers

This is in perfect condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Dishes with the VOC monogram demonstrate the role of the East India Company trade in East-West relations. The dishes are not mentioned in trade documents but were probably specially ordered for use by company staff at the factory on Deshima and other factories in Asia including Batavia. For similar examples in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford see John Ayers, Oliver Impey and J.V.G. Mallet, Porcelain for Palaces, the Fashion for Japan in Europe, 1650-1750, an exhibition organised with the British Museum, (London, 1991), no.32 p.94; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art see Martin Lerner, Blue and White, Early Japanese Export Ware (New York, 1979), no.59, and see Oliver Impey, The Early Porcelain Kilns of Japan (New York, 1996), p.11.

For further discussion on this style of dish see Dr C. J. A. Jörg, Interaction in Ceramics, Oriental Porcelain and Delftware (Hong Kong, 1984), pl.63, p.108